The Raging Wolves
by WiccaChick98
Summary: This is about a friend of Chloe's named Jamal, or Red. I'm planning on turning it into a novel kinda if I get enough good reviews. The first chapter is going to be about Jamal's beginning. Then the next chapters are going to be when they meet up again.
1. Unknown Ties

**HEYO! I know I haven't posted in _forever_, but I have a perfectly good reason- school. I hate it with a passion, but, eh, I'm not sixteen yet, and if I complete high school, it'll look good on my college app. (Will they even let you into college if you didn't finish high school?) Anyway, I wanted to say that I love all of you (sniff, sniff). I love all of your reviews (sniff, sniff, sniff, sniffle). And I just really appreciate all of your support (sniffle, sniff, sob, sniffle). And I don't know why I'm being like this (sob, sniff, sob, sob). I'm not usually this emotional (whimper, sob, sniff, whimper). I just really love you all so mu-hu-hu-huch!**

**Sorry, I couldn't help it. I haven't done a story like this before. The star of this thing is named Jamal Williams. He's a friend of Chloe's from her past. So, I hope you like it! :)**

**Apology: Sorry if you guys don't like it. Or if it's OCC. (Can an original character be OOC?)**

**Disclaimer: Hi. My last name isn't Armstrong, and my first name isn't Kelley. So, guess what that means! I don't own it. **

"Hey, Kid. What's your name?"

I looked up from the book I was reading and saw that Bryan wasn't talking to me, for once. He was talking to a small girl.

"I-I-I'm C-C-" the girl started to say, but Bryan cut her off.

"What's wrong with your voice?" There was something in his tone that I didn't like- I think it was the hostility.

"I-I-"

"You're small. What are you, three?"

"F-four-r-r."

I rolled my eyes at Bryan. He was just a stupid bully. My gaze settled on the girl. Her eyes we beautiful, but filled with tears.

Something in me snapped, and I walked over to Bryan and the girl. I grabbed his arms, yanking him away from her. He fell back with a yelp.

"Back off," I snarled at him. He winced, blinked in surprise, and ran off. I turned to the girl.

"You okay?" I asked her. She nodded, blue eyes wide. "What's your name, Sweetie?" I didn't usually call people by nicknames, but she looked fragile.

Her face reddened as she said, "Chl-Chloe-e."

_Chloe,_ I thought. _What a nice name._

I extended my hand. "Jamal Williams."

She shook it, and I marveled at how such a tiny girl could have such a strong grip.

"Tell me about yourself, Chloe," I said, leading her to a table and pulling a chair back for her. She sat down.

"I-I like movies and p-popcorn," she said. I nodded, and she continued. "M-my daddy is starting a business, and it's really good. M-Mommy says we're getting a lot of money."  
>"Money is a good thing to have," I murmured. "What's your favorite color?"<p>

"D-dark green."

That took me by surprise. From what I saw in the cute blond, I expected her favorite color to be pink or purple.

"Really?"

Her face reddened a bit more, and she said, "Y-yeah."

Instinctively, I reached out and brushed a strand of hair that had fallen into her face. "No need to be embarrassed," I whispered gently. "What's your favorite animal?"

"Wolf."

I was a bit more prepared for that one. "Yeah? I like wolves, too."

There was something that compelled me to be her friend, to support her, be there for her. I didn't know what it was, but at the moment I didn't care..

"How old are you?" she asked all of a sudden.

"Seven."

"S-seven? Wow!"

I laughed lightly. "Do you like it here?" I hadn't seen her around before, so it was obvious that she was new.

Chloe lowered her head. "N-not really."

"Why not?"

"Th-they're mean. They pick on me for my stutter."

I swallowed a growl. "Chloe, Darling, if you stick with me, no one will pick on you. Okay?"

She grinned, and shook my hand.

"D-deal!"

~That Evening~

"Jamal! Oh, no, not again!"

I groaned as I puked up my dinner. Mom rushed to my side and smoothed my hair back as my body did it again.

It had been happening ever since last year. My body went through this horrible pain. It felt like I was trying to change forms.

Tears poured down my face and I whimpered, the pain gnawing at my gut. I threw up again, and felt something on my arm. I looked down at it, and saw fur. Long, fine fur that was the same dark red as my hair.

I could tell Mom saw it, too, because she pulled back in shock. Her fear was so strong, I could smell the adrenaline coursing through her veins, hear the hammering of her heart, and I could see her tense form, even in the darkness of the bedroom.

As soon as it started, it was over. I lay on the wood, gasping for breath. Mom cleaned up my vomit, then sat beside me, stroking my face. Last time this had happened, I had curled into her arms, crying like a baby. But this time, I didn't dare. I just stayed where I was, and she patted my head awkwardly.

"Go shower, then get to bed, Hon," she said. "It's after ten."

I complied, but couldn't stop the thoughts racing through my mind.

Some of them questioned why my body was putting me through this. Others screamed at me to go to sleep. But one rang out above the others, no matter how hard I tried to push it back.

My own mother, the one who gave birth to me, the one who raised me all on her own, was afraid of me.

~A Year-And-A-Half Later~

The bell rang, and I ran out of school as fast as I could, to the bus that took me to the Daycare Darling and I both went to. She hadn't been there for the past few days, and I was starting to panic.

_Is she sick?_ I thought. _What's wrong?_

As soon as we pulled in, I hopped out of the bus and ran inside. When I reached my destination, Ms. Carry, one of the teachers, walked over to me.

"I need to talk to you," she said, leading me to her office. Once the door was closed, she leaned down so she was at my level. "You know how Chloe's been absent the past few days?" When I nodded, she continued. "Well, her aunt just called. Mrs. Saunders has died."

I froze. "Jennifer's dead?" I thought aloud. _Oh, no! Chloe was really close to Jennifer! She'll be crushed!_

"Yes."

I ran out of the building, despite everyone's calls for me to come back, and to Chloe's apartment. I didn't even bother with the elevator- I just took the stairs and sprinted up to their door. I knocked, and Steve answered, looking distraught.

"Hi, Mr. Saunders," I said. "Is Chloe here?"

"In her room," he muttered, opening the door for me. I thanked him, and ran to her bedroom.

Chloe sat in the corner, body shaking. I accidentally stepped on a board that creaked, and her head shot up. When she saw me, she opened her arms.

"J-J-J-"

I ran over to her and pulled her close. She tensed at first, then relaxed, sobbing into my chest.

"Sh-she's d-d-d-dead!" she cried.

"I know, Darling," I whispered, pressing my lips to the top of her head. "I know."

I don't know how long we sat there, but Chloe ended up pressing her face into the crook of my neck. Soon, her sobs ebbed enough for her to speak. I shifted us so that she was on my lap, and encouraged her by running a hand through her hair.

"I-i-it w-was a-a-a-a c-car-r cr-crash-sh. D-Dad-d w-was-s dr-driving b-back fr-from th-their d-date-te a-and s-someone-ne h-hit th-them-m-m!"

The dam seemed to break after that, because her tears fell faster than ever, and she let out several whimpers and cries and wails as I pulled her close again, resting my chin on the top of her head. I whispered soft things to her that I knew would bring her at least some comfort.

She was heartbroken. And I knew it would take forever to bring her back, but I would do whatever it takes to make sure she'd be alright.

~ Two Years Later~

My body shook as the fur sprouted once again. It grew longer than usual, and I felt my face start to shift, too.

Mom walked into the room and screamed. I guess this was scaring her. I let out a whimper as my muscles moved beneath my skin. I threw up on the floor for the tenth time.

"Jamal!" she shrieked.

I whimpered, and heard the door close. I lifted my head, expecting to see Mom beside me, but found the room empty. I felt the overwhelming sense of loss. The physical pain was nothing compared to the emotional suffering I was enduring.

I choked back a howl.

Suddenly, the pain left, and I lay, panting on the floor. Something was different. I could hear, smell, and see everything in the room. I stood up, then realized I was on all fours. I looked down, and saw dog legs.

_Not dog_, I thought, _wolf._

I was... a wolf.

I turned around a few times, then let out several yelps as my bones got used to the feel. Mom ran into the room, saw me, and screamed again. It hurt my ears, and I vocalized that with a whimper.

Mom tentatively reached out a hand, and I slowly walked forward. She gave me a half smiled and scratched my ears.

I could still smell the fear.

"D-do you know where my son is?" she asked me. I felt my eyes widen.

_"Don't you recognize me?"_ I whimpered._ "It's me, Jamal! Your little JJ!"_

Mom sighed and stood up. "I'd better go find him."

_NO!_ something inside me shrieked. I started to change back into a human.

When it was over, I lay on the floor. Mom screamed, backing towards the door.

"M-Mom," I tried. She shook her head, turned on her heel, and ran. I felt the tears well up in my eyes.

"M-Mom..."

~ The Next Night~

"... So I'll see you tomorrow?" I asked Chloe over the phone.

"Yeah. Bye, Red."

"Bye, Darling."

Red. That was her nickname for me. She had decided about a year ago that if I called her "Darling", she should get to call me something, too. After many failed attempts to capture my personality with a single word, she settled on Red. Amazingly enough, it caught on fast. She called me that so often that other people starting calling me Red. Soon enough, even the teachers were calling me that.

I turned to the computer and continued my research. I had been looking up possible reasons as to why in the world I had changed into a wolf last night when Darling called. I clicked on the Google icon, and typed, "What disease is it when you turn into a wolf?"

There were thousands of replies. Most of them said it was a mental disease called, "Lycanthropy". I looked that word up and clicked on the first result.

"_Lycanthropy_," it read, "_is a disease that makes one believe they can change into an animal (most commonly wolves)._"

I didn't bother to read on. I knew it wasn't an illusion- Mom saw it, too. I went back and clicked on the second result. It only said one word.

"_Werewolfism_"

_What?_ I thought. _I can't be a werewolf! They're not real!_

_Yes, you are._ The mysterious voice said. It had been talking to me ever since I had first turned into a wolf.

I made a low sound in the back of my throat at the voice, then froze.

_Did I just... growl?_

"J-Jamal?" Mom said timidly from the doorway. I looked up.

"Yeah, Mom?"

"T-time for your b-bath."

My bath. I hated those words. My mom was an overly-Christian person, and ever since I had started trying to turn into a wolf, she made me bathe in holy water every night.

I didn't object, and walked into the bathroom, where the tub was already filled. I walked in front of the mirror.

"God loves me," I recited to my reflection. Mom gave me a half smile, and I took off my shirt.

Mom walked over to me and grabbed my arms. I stared at her in confusion, the look in her eyes filling me with fear.

"M-M-Mom?"

She shook her head and pushed me into the water. I gasped and tried to surface, but she held me down. I felt something sharp slide up my wrist, then the other.

I screamed as the water around me turned dark red.

"M-Mom!"

The water started to fill my lungs, and I felt myself start to weaken. I wondered which I would die from first- lack of oxygen or blood loss?

I heard Mom start to cry.

I started to see spots.

I let out a single whimper.

Then, black.

~Unknown Time~

I heard sobbing. Crying. Weeping.

A woman said, "There was no other way! He was possessed!"

A man's gruff reply: "It doesn't matter, ma'am. You cut his wrists. That's child abuse. Where's the child's father?"

"I don't know. I got artificial insemination."

"Very well, then. No relatives?"

"N-No. But I don't-"

"Very well. We'll put him in foster care."

"What? No! He's all I have."

"You should have thought of that when you tried to kill him, Ms. Williams."

I heard the clink of metal, like handcuffs closing. The woman cried out, then the click of a door closing.

I didn't want to open my eyes. I was too tired. I wanted to sleep.

Sleep...

~SMALL Time Elapse~

"Red?"

The voice woke me up. My eyes finally opened.

"R-Red? How are you feeling?"

I was in a hospital room, in a hospital bed. There was an IV in my arm. I was wearing a hospital gown. There was a face staring at me. I felt groggy.

I studied the face. It was a girl around 7 or 8. she had a soft heart shaped face and long strawberry blond hair.

Her most attractive feature was her beautiful, dark blue eyes.

"Chloe?"

She nodded, tears forming in her eyes.

It all came back to me at once- Mom, the bathtub, the water, the razor...

The razor.

I lifted my arm and saw bandages wrapped around my wrist. My gorge rose.

_My mom tried to kill me._

Darling reached out and brushed some of my hair from my face.

"I-I was worried," she whispered. I nodded, holding her hand close to me.

"I can't believe my own mother..." I trailed off and Darling smiled grimly.

"Now we both don't have a mother," she said sadly. I nodded, reaching up to catch the tears that flowed.

"It's alright. We still have each other," I said to her. She nodded.

"I talked to Dad, he said he'd be okay with you staying with us until you can find a new home."

I know she didn't mean it, but it sounded like she was talking to a dog. Oh irony, I turn into a wolf. I wonder how that will go down if she ever finds out.

~One Week Later~

"...and this is your room," Chloe said, opening a door. I looked in and smiled. Chloe had painted the room according to what I liked. The walls were a dark, rich blue and the bed was made of cherry wood, with dark gray sheets and pillows. The dresser was painted black. Everything was already unpacked, which didn't surprise me. I didn't have a lot of stuff, and in the corner, perched a a stand, lay...

"My guitar!" I said, racing over to it. I picked the instrument up and played a G chord. "I've missed this thing the most."

It was true. They hadn't let me play in the hospital. Darling watched me as I sat on the bed and played random notes an chords until they started to form a song.

"I wish I knew how to play guitar," Chloe said, voice catching a dreamy tone. I smiled.

"I can teach you if you want," I told her. Her eyes lit up.

"Really? Thanks, Red!"

I nodded and patted my lap. Darling crawled into it, and I placed the guitar on her lap. I took her left hand and placed it on the finger-board. Then I took her right hand and placed that one on the body, hovering over the strings.

"We'll start with a G chord." I said, shaping her fingers on the fingerboard. Shed nodded and I moved the other hand over the strings.

I taught here each chord and string and by dinner I had gotten her to play the first verse of  
>"Sweet Home Alabama" successfully.<p>

"You're a natural," I whispered. She blushed. "Honest. Can you sing?"

"K-Kinda," she muttered, face red. I smiled.

"Let's hear it."

"Um..."

I said to Darling, "I'm not gonna laugh. Just sing."

She nodded and sang a verse of Hello by Evanescence. I blinked in surprise when I heard her.

"Kinda?" I said to her. "Kinda? A voice like yours could put any superstar to shame!"

"Really?" Her eyes were huge. I smiled and nodded.

Steven walked into the room and stared at us. Chloe, perched in my lap, holding my guitar, my hands over hers. He managed a smile.

"Dinner's ready," he said.

Chloe and I headed into the dining room to eat.

~Two Months Later~

"... Well, I'm sure you'll love Jamal, here," Mrs. Mackie, the leader of the child agencies, was saying.

"I'm sure we will. Thank you very much, Mrs. Mackie."

"Anytime."

Mrs. Johnson walked out of the office down the hall, and Darling choked back a sob. I turned to her, only to see her blinking back tears. I pulled her into my arms.

"P-promise-se t-to e-mail?" she whimpered.

"Every day, Darling," I whispered into her hair.

She pulled back, sniffling. "I-I feel b-bad for d-doing th-this, b-being like this-s. I-I'm ha-happy f-for you, b-b-but I d-don't want you t-to g-go!"

I pressed my lips to her forehead. "It'll be alright. Don't worry about me."

Mrs. Johnson stopped when she saw us. She looked at Chloe, then at me. She met my gaze and said, "I didn't know you had a sister, Jamal!"

I shook my head. "We're just really close."

"You two look alike, though. Your eyes are the same."

Chloe smiled softly, and Mrs. Johnson smiled back.

"You two can still keep in touch," she said to us. She turned to me. "Ready?"

I nodded, and Darling got off of my lap. I kissed her forehead again. "Bye, Chloe. I love you."

"I-I l-love you too, R-Red."

Mrs. Johnson took my hand after we broke away. "Let's go, Jamal. Tim has dinner waiting for us. Do you eat tacos?"

"I'll eat anything."

She laughed softly, and led me outside. I turned and said goodbye to Darling one final time.

While Mrs. Johnson and I were in the car, we talked about common interests. I could smell everything, from the coffee she drank this morning to her flowery perfume that reeked of chemicals. There was the papery smell of books, and the strong scent of her husband's cologne. It fascinated and scared me at the same time that I could actually smell all of this stuff.

We pulled up to a small farmhouse, and I automatically caught the scent of Mexican food. Mrs. Johnson got out of the car, and I followed suit.

"Welcome home, Jamal," she said, taking my hand. She led me through the door, and into a room that gave off a homey feeling. I liked it.

Mr. Johnson served us dinner. I ate cautiously, and they watched my every move, as if they were studying me.

"You're a nice-looking young man," Mrs. Johnson told me. I smiled and thanked her.

Mr. Johnson cut in. "I hope you'll be happy with us. I know it'll be hard to trust Abby and I, especially after..." He trailed off, then came back. "We'll be patient. School starts for you next week, so we're gonna take you shopping for new clothes."

I nodded, and Mrs. Johnson smiled.

"I hope you like to read, because I'm a librarian. Tim works at a music shop, so you'd better be able to put up with nonstop musical instruments being played, too." She said it with a smile directed at both Mr. Johnson and me.

"I love to read, and I play guitar," I replied. Mr. Johnson looked up.

"Really? Can you sing?"

"A bit. I'm still working on it."

He grinned, and Mrs. Johnson laughed softly.

"I'll just leave you two to talk about music," she said, and left the room.

~One Week Later~

I sneaked outside as the muscles contracted in my back. I managed to get into the forest that was conveniently located in the backyard before I collapsed. The spasms started, and I let out a few whimpers as I grew fur. At least I wasn't throwing up, like last time, though. I thanked whoever was listening that no one-

The back door opened, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw a flashlight beam.

"Jamal? Where are you?"

Mrs. Johnson.

I tried to crawl away from the approaching beam, but it didn't matter. She still saw me and yelped.

"J-Jamal? Are you okay?" She paused, then muttered to herself, "Stupid, of course he's not okay." She crouched by me, and I waited for her to run off, screaming for Mrs. Mackie to take me back.

Only, she didn't.

She just stayed there, resting a comforting hand on my back as I turned into the wolf that rested inside of me. The one that wouldn't ever shut up.

After it was over, I lay, panting, as she ran her hands through my fur. She stopped abruptly.

"Jamal? Are you alright?" she asked. I stood up, then sat down in front of her, waiting for run. She didn't even flinch. She just watched me with concern in her eyes.

_"Why aren't you running?"_ I whined. She reached forward and rubbed my head. I leaned close, realizing that there was a chance that she wasn't scared of me.

I heard the door open, and perked my ears up. Mr. Johnson.

"What is it, Hon?" she asked, looking around. Soon enough, Mr. Johnson came running in.

"Abby, are you alright? I was wondering where you were, and I couldn't find Jamal, and-" He stopped when he saw me. "Is that a wolf?"

Mrs. Johnson smiled, stroking my fur. "This is Jamal."

He paused at that. "_This_ is Jamal?"

She nodded, tears in her eyes. "Yes."

_They accept us,_ the Wolf- I knew that voice now- said softly.

I closed my eyes and leaned against her, until my muscles started to twitch. I thanked God, Shiba, whoever, really, that I had taken off the majority of my clothes before coming outside. As I changed back, Mr. and Mrs. Johnson comforted me, and when I was finally human, I closed my eyes.

"Are you okay?" Mr. Johnson asked. I nodded, gasping for breath.

"I'm surprised you didn't run," I whispered.

Mrs. Johnson gasped, eyes wide. "Why would we run, Jamal? You could've been hurt!"

"Plus," Mr. Johnson added, "If we ran away, we may never find out how the heck you did that!"

I laughed shakily and stood up, only to blush and sit back down, remembering my nakedness.

"We should probably go inside, so you can shower and dress," Mrs. Johnson said. "Then, we need to talk."

I nodded, swallowing my fear at the idea of a _talk_. Talks usually ended badly. Nonetheless, I did what she had asked.

When I was freshly showered and dressed, I sat down at the table with Mr. and Mrs. Johnson. They smiled softly at me.

"Can you tell us what happened tonight?" Mr. Johnson asked.

"I, uh, changed into a wolf."

"How is that possible?"

"I have absolutely no clue."

He nodded, stroking his whiskery chin. Mrs. Johnson spoke up.

"Ms. Williams was arrested, claiming her son, you, were possessed. Is this what she meant?"

I nodded. "Yeah, it's alright. I understand. I'll go pack my bags." I turned to leave, when they interrupted me.

"Why on earth would you do that?" they asked in unison. I turned around.

"Because I'm a freak. Because I'm some crazy demon who's possessed and turns into a wolf. Because I have no idea what I am, or who my real father is, or-or-or-" I stopped and looked down, tears falling.

I heard the chair screech as Mrs. Johnson got up and wrapped her arms around me, pulling me close.

"Jamal, Honey, we would never send you back. We love you."

"We just want to know what's going on, so we can help," Mr. Johnson said, wrapping an arm around the both of us.

I stopped crying, and hugged them back. "I love you guys, too."

They pulled away, smiling.

"So, do you have any ideas at all as to how you did that?" Mr. Johnson asked for the second time. I sighed.

"I think I'm a werewolf," I said. They nodded.

"It makes sense," Mrs. Johnson said. "If you change into a wolf. Do you have any heightened senses?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I can hear and smell better. And I have night vision." I paused. "You promise you won't give me up?"

Mrs. Johnson nodded, smiling. "We promise, Jamal. We love you."

Later, I went to bed, and for the first time, didn't have any trouble getting to sleep.

~Three Years Later~

"I gotta go," I said, grabbing my bag.

"Alright. Love you."

"Love you, too, Mom," I said, kissing her on the cheek. Then I ran to catch the school bus.

When I finally got there, a new scent hit me. It was sweet, and smelled of rain, vanilla, and strawberry. I turned around, and my gaze fell on a small girl with a heart-shaped face and dark blue eyes.

"Chloe?" I muttered to myself. My gaze swept up her body, and found the necklace her mom had given to her, confirming my thoughts.

"Chloe!" I yelled, running over to her. She froze, and turned around. When she saw me, she gasped.

"Oh my god. Red?"

I nodded, grinning, and pulled her into a hug. She hugged me back tightly.

"I've missed you so much!" she said when we pulled back, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"Me, too, Darling," I said with a laugh. "What are you doing here?"

"My dad's business. He needed to move again." She paused. "How are things going for you? I mean, the last time I saw you, you were getting adopted. Are you guys still...?"

"They're awesome, Chloe," I muttered. "They're everything I could hope for, and so much more."

She grinned. "That's amazing! I'm so happy for you!"

"How's your family?"

Chloe blinked, then sighed. "Dad's usually away on his business trips, and the _nanny_ hates me. Aunt Lauren keeps coming with us, though."

"That's good. But bad. Did your dad really hire a nanny?"

She snorted. "Yeah. It's a real pain in the-"

The bell rang, cutting her off. I laughed at the uncanny timing.

"We'd better get to class."

"Yeah. I'll see you later, Red."

"See you, Darling."

~After School~

"Hey, Mom," I said, walking into the house.

"Hey, Jamal. How was school?"

I grinned. "It was great. Do you remember Chloe?"

She walked out of the kitchen, drying her hands on her apron. "Was she the girl you were with when we adopted you?"

I nodded. "Yeah. She just moved here."

Mom grinned. "That's amazing, Honey! How old is she, again?"

"She's eleven."

"A little young for you," she teased. I laughed.

"No, we're just best friends. We're not dating. She's like my baby sister."

Mom grinned. "I know, I know. Just messing with you. What kind of homework do you have?"

"Science and Geometry."

She nodded. "Get to it. I'm making cookies, if you want any."

"Alright, Mom."

The sound of a motor told us that Dad was home. I smiled to myself. I didn't know if it was that I never knew my father, or what, but the sound of Dad coming home always made me smile.

"Hey, Dad," I said as he walked into the front room. He smiled.

"Hey, Jamal. How was school?"

"Chloe moved here."

He paused. "Is that the girl your mother had told me about? The one that looks like you?"

I nodded. Dad grinned.

"That's great. Doesn't she know how to play an instrument?"

"She knows piano and violin, and I taught her a bit of guitar. And she has the best singing voice."

"Oh, really? As good as Amy Lee?"

"Yup. She sounded almost exactly like her. And she was eight!"

Dad chuckled. "Maybe we can get her to come over."

"Yeah. That'd be great."

~A Year Later~

I ran to the tree behind the school when the bell rang. There was something Chloe had wanted to tell me, and she wanted me to meet her there. I saw her sitting on a branch, watching the clouds. I walked up, making sure to step on several leaves so she knew I was coming.

"Hey, Darling. What's up?"

She sighed. "Dad's making us move again."

Oh.

_Just when we got her back, too_, the Wolf whimpered.

I frowned. "Where to?"

"Albuquerque."

"New Mexico?"

"That's where Albuquerque is, Red," she said, trying to lighten the mood.

I sighed. "Damn. Promise to e-mail?"

She smiled. "And call."

I scooped her up in a hug and kissed her forehead.

"I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you, too, Red."

"When are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow morning."

I sighed again, holding her close. "In that case, bye, Darling."

She smiled and kissed my cheek. "Bye, Red. I love you."

"I love you, too."

~One Week Later~

I walked home, humming absently along to a random song that was playing over in my head repeatedly. As I approached my house, I stopped, nostrils flaring.

Something was wrong.

I inhaled again, and smelled blood. I hoped that it was just that Mom was on her period, but it was useless, anyway. Why? Because I also smelled death.

I ran into the house. "Mom? Dad?"

I searched every room. "Mom! Dad! Where the hell are you?"

I inhaled again, heart racing so fast I almost couldn't feel it. I checked their bedroom and nearly threw up.

My parents lay there, both of them with holes in their chests. I felt the tears well up in my eyes, and I collapsed on the ground.

"No, no, no, please god, no. Don't let them be-"

I stopped and stood up, shaking my head to clear the pleas. I knew they were dead. So there was no use in begging with some unknown force to bring them back, because it was impossible.

I checked their bodies, and found a note on Dad's chest.

_" We will find you soon enough, Jamal Johnson-Williams. And when we do, you're going to tell us everything we want to know, starting with how you are what you are. "_

No signature.

I growled at the note before throwing it onto the ground. I looked at my parents, feeling a wave of dread pass through me.

I had to leave. I had to keep everyone else safe. I needed to fly under the radar. At least until I got everything sorted out.

I kissed Mom and Dad before walking out the door. I dialed 911 and told them to come over. Then, I took one last look at the only thing that had ever really seemed like home to me, and left.

No more was I Jamal Johnson-Williams, but Red Williamson.

**I'm planning to turn this into a novel if you like it. I hope you guys do, because I already have the sequel and most of the one after _that_. So, please love it! But no pressure. Review, PLEASE!**

**-Peace & Pasta**

**-WiccaChick98**


	2. The New Wolf in the Pack

**Hi. It's me again. Okay, so yesterday was very important to me- it was my birthday! I am now one year older than I was last year! (Shocker).**

**I wrote the sequel, and I AM going to turn this into a novel (kinda. It's like a whole bunch of short stories (one-shots) that all go together to form a book. So, stories within a story... I guess?**

**Hop you like it!**

**Disclaimer: Non possiedo i poteri più scuri! Translation: I do not own Darkest Powers! (It was Italian!)**

**Apology: Sorry if any of the characters are OOC.**

(Three Years Later)

Red's POV

I rolled my eyes at the cashier, who kept trying to flirt with me. What was with her?

"That'll be fifteen fifty-two, but I'll knock the five dollars and fifty-two cents off if you go on a date with me."

I growled softly. The woman had long black hair, hazel eyes, and wore _way_ too much perfume. It disgusted me.

I handed her a twenty. "Keep the change."

She frowned, but took the money and handed me my bag.

_About time! _

I high-tailed out of the store, bag in hand. I got out my car keys, wanting to get home, so maybe I could-

I smelled her before I saw her.

I spun on my heel, and saw her. Her long, strawberry blond locks, her vanilla-rain scent, her petite body.

_Chloe?_

_CHLOE!_

I growled at my wolf, and jogged over to her, sweet name on my lips.

"Chloe!"

She turned around and stared at me. I finally got close enough to see her denim-colored eyes. Her scent was sweet, but it had a lot of other people mixed in. A witch, human, two sorcerers, and...

A werewolf.

I stopped dead in my tracks, and Chlo threw herself at me. I caught her with ease, given my strength, and buried my nose in her hair, werewolf scent forgotten. Until I smelled it again, that is.

I tried not to growl.

_Why? We need to make sure it's okay! He could hurt her, Kid!_

_I know, Wolf. I know._

I pulled back and grinned at her, hiding my confusion. "I am so glad to see you!"

She laughed. "Same here, Red! Jeez, you've grown!"

"So have you! The last time I saw you, you were a twig!"

She gasped in fake pain and clapped her hand over her heart. "Red! How could you?"

I snickered, then sobered up. "What're you doing here, Darling?"

She frowned. "I don't know if I can tell you, Red."

That must be serious, if she can't tell _me_.

_Or she's just not sure if she can trust you anymore._

I didn't like it, but it made sense.

"Chloe, Darling," I whispered, tilting her head up so I could see her face. "You can tell me anything. _Anything._ And I promise I can keep it a secret. Even if it's something serious, like cutting yourself."

She didn't have her father's scent, and she had a werewolf's on her. I had to know- his scent was by far the strongest. I didn't like it- I don't exactly trust werewolves; I have my battle scars to prove it.

She sighed, then nodded slowly. "Alright."

Chloe led me to a table, and we sat down.

"We're on the run," she said.

I nodded, not really understanding what the hell she was talking about. "From who?"

"The St. Cloud Cabal."

I nearly choked on my own spit. "You, too?"

Darling's eyes widened. "Wait, they're after you?"

"Yeah. They want to know why-" I cut myself off just in time.

"Why what? Why you're a Supernatural?"

I nodded slowly. "You're a necromancer, right?"

Chloe nodded, her eyes slowly getting wider, which was a sign that she was interested. "And, let me guess, you're a werewolf?"

I tensed, then nodded. "How did you guess?"

She shrugged. "You smelled my hair." Darling paused. "You should come back to the house with us."

I closed my eyes. "Darling, I'd love to- I've been too worried for you. I found something... interesting. But I..." I took out the photo from my wallet and handed it to her.

Chlo's eyes softened when she saw the smiling girl. "You've finally got a girlfriend," she whispered.

"Yeah. Her name's Neige- French for snow. We've been together for a year and a half now. She's my mate. I can't leave her."

"Bring her with us. Safety comes in numbers, and if she's involved with you, and they know, she's in danger, too. Is she a-"

"She's an Ice Demon."

"Figures," she muttered.

I got an idea. I said to Darling, "How about if I go to your place, introduce myself, and if everyone likes me, or at least the majority, I bring Neige and we go with you."

She smiled. "Good idea. Now, come on."

~HI~

The ride to Chlo's house was long, giving us plenty of time to catch up. I left the radio on to low, and told her the _real_ reason why I was put into foster care, and I told her what I found out. Then I told her about Neige and my Changes, and how I only let her come.

Chloe was confused at first as to why I only let Neige go with me for my Changes, and I simply said, "The rest of my family is Hell-knows-where, and she's my mate. The only people werewolves let go with them to Change, outside of their family, is their mate."

Darling got a confused look on her face, but it quickly faded.

I cast a sideways glance at her. "So you know about what I've been through. How're you doing?"

Chloe smiled, and told me about her first ghost, how she was labeled Schizophrenic, when the boy threw her across the room (growl on my part), the crawlspace, the werewolf's first Change, and how her aunt betrayed her (another growl- I don't trust humans, either). Then she told me about the girl in the alleyway, wolf's second Change, the jackass werewolves, and the safehouse. She told me about her screwy date, how he finally Changed fully, the guilt he felt when he killed someone, her first _real_ kiss, how she got captured, and how she raised a dead woman's body to kill the man that was going to kill her aunt.

I smiled at most of the parts about the werewolf- Derek Souza. He seemed to really care about her, and he let her go with him for all of his Changes. I liked the way her eyes lit up when she talked about him, and the way her voice softened when she said his name.

She told me about how Derek had once given her too much time to hide when they were playing hide and seek (he was a wolf), and she fell asleep. The next thing she knew, she was being spooned by a very human Souza, and his brother and dad were calling for him. I didn't like Kit's form of punishment- Chloe couldn't go with Derek when he needed to Change.

_Seems like he's in too deep,_ I thought to myself. _If he can't Change without her... damn, he's got it bad._

"Turn here," Darling suddenly said. I complied, and soon we were pulling up in front of a dark blue house with a stretch of woods around it.

A part of the song came on- Chloe's favorite, Misguided Ghosts.

"_So I can find someone to rely on_

_And run to them, to them_

_Full speed ahead"_

I turned to face Chloe.

"You've found that someone, haven't you?" I asked her.

It took her a second before recognition passed through her baby-blues. She smiled softly.

"Yeah, Red, I really think I have."

I felt the smile form on my face. "I'm happy for you."

She full-out grinned. "You wanna meet my roomies?"

I snickered at the sudden subject change. "Sure."

She got out of the truck, and I followed suit. I wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close, and pressed my lips to her forehead.

"I've really missed you," I whispered to her.

"I've missed you, too."

I pulled back with a smile, and Darling started walking towards the house.

Just as she got up on the porch, the door opened, and a guy stepped out.

He had black hair, and was really tall. His scent drifted towards me.

Werewolf.

I ignored the tension I felt, telling myself that it was just Derek Souza, and started to walk up to them.

That is, until I saw them kissing.

He was bent over her, arms wrapped around her waist, and her arms were around his neck. Both of their eyes were closed, and he leaned closer. She parted her lips in response, and one of his hands found its way into her hair. The way they were kissing... it didn't look like they were trying to eat each other, like with most teenagers, it was sweet. Passionate. Loving.

Though I was glad Darling was happy, it saddened me to see that she'd grown up since I'd last seen her.

When the two of them broke apart, I could see the look he gave her. It was like she was the air he needed to breathe. He leaned down and gave her a gentle peck on the cheek. I heard them whisper a greeting to the other, and the boy pulled her into his arms. His back was to me, and Chloe and I locked eyes.

She blushed, making the boy turn around and see me. A growl bubbled up in his throat, but Darling rested a hand on his chest, and he stopped.

"It's okay," she whispered. Then she looked at me. "Enjoy the show?"

I laughed. "I think it was rather sweet. Are you gonna introduce me?"

She rolled her eyes, grabbed the boy's hand, and started walking over to where I was standing. The wind changed, and the boy's nostrils flared. I knew that he knew, because his eyes widened. He looked at me threateningly. Not the kind of "You're on my territory" thing, but the "If you so much as look at her the wrong way, I will tear you to pieces" kind of look.

"Derek," Chloe said, looking in between us, "this is Red Williamson. Red, this is Derek Souza, my boyfriend."

I shook his hand, and he stared me down. I could practically see his thoughts. "_Who are you and why are you here? Why does she smell like you? Are you one of her exes?_"

I smiled, and let Chloe lead us inside.

Derek's POV

I let my mate lead us into the house, but didn't take my eyes off of "Red". He was a werewolf, which meant that he'd have to earn my trust. Starting with telling me who the hell he was and why Chloe smelled like him.

I gave "Red" a once-over. He was strongly built, tall- as tall as me-, had dark red hair, dark blue eyes, and...

I looked down further and saw one scar running vertically on each of his wrists.

_Oh my god, does he cut himself? I don't want Chloe hanging out with someone like that..._

Lauren walked out of the kitchen and saw us. Her eyes widened when she saw "Red".

"Wow. Um, do you want me to call a family meeting?" she said, looking at him. Chloe nodded, and she walked off.

"I guess she doesn't recognize me," he said, wrapping an arm around Chloe's shoulders. I swallowed a growl.

"Or maybe she does, and is in shock. I mean, you've grown quite a bit since you were fifteen," she said with a smirk. Red shrugged.

I cleared my throat awkwardly, and said, "They're waiting for us in the living room."

The werewolf looked over to me. "Hmm? Oh, yeah. Thanks. Come on, Darling." He walked with her into the living room, leaving me to feel like a lost puppy. I trudged into the room, looking for a place to sit. Chloe patted the spot next to her, and I sat down, wrapping an arm around her waist, and leering at "Red", who was on the other side of her. He sent me a "what the hell is your problem?" look.

"Okay..." Dad started awkwardly, eying the two of us. Chloe smiled.

"Do you want me to introduce you, Red?"

He nodded, sending her a smile that was too friendly in my book.

Chloe stood up, and started to speak.

Chloe's POV

"This is Red Williamson, or, as my aunt may know him as, Jamal Williams."

Aunt Lauren gasped, and sent Red a shocked look. "_You're_ Jamal?"

He nodded. "I was, until I changed my name to Red."

"Aka, you just tell everyone that that's what your name is," I said with an eye roll.

"Can't exactly go to a court house to get it legally changed, Chlo," he muttered.

I snickered, and Derek gave Red a look.

_Poor Derek,_ I thought. _He probably thinks that Red and I are in love. I might've believed it, too, though, if I were in his shoes._

"Anyway," I said, getting everyone's attention. "This is Red. He's a werewolf. He's eighteen years old" -Derek growled softly at that part- "and he is really good with music." I turned to him. "Do you want me to tell them the story?"

He nodded, slowly starting to shrink into the seat.

"Red and I met eleven years ago, when he stood up for me when I was getting picked on. We instantly clicked, but that's not important. Red started Changing when he was six, about a year before we met. Around three years later, he finally Changed completely, freaking his mom out."

"Why?" Tori asked.

"She didn't know, and she got an artificial insemination, so the father's out of the picture."

Red grunted.

"The next night-," I continued, "-his mom, Tia, was overly-Christian, by the way. Anyway, the next night, Tia told Red that it was time for his daily holy-water bath. He walked into the bathroom, and she pushed him into the tub, and... Well..."

"Let's just say the scars on my wrists aren't because I cut myself," Red said, looking at everyone in turn. Derek looked away, his expression almost guilty.

"Red got to stay with me for two months, and then he got adopted. Three years later, I move there, and everything is fine until I have to move again. After I'm gone, Red's new parents end up getting killed, because the Nasts and St. Clouds want to know how he's a werewolf."

By the time I was done, everyone's eyes were huge. Derek was the first to break out of it.

"Well, if his father is unknown, then _he_ could be a werewolf," he said, as if it were obvious.

"You honestly think I hadn't thought of that?" Red snapped. "That's exactly what I wondered, so I hacked into my hospital records, and found Tia's receipt for the insemination. It had the father on it."

"Well, who was it?" Tori demanded.

Red and I looked at each other. He had just recently told me about it, and when we locked eyes, I realized just how similar we were.

Red looked around at everyone again, and said, "Steven Saunders."

Aunt Lauren gasped. "You're meaning to tell me that Jamal Williams is your half brother?"

"Pretty much."

Her face turned white. "Oh, dear lord."

Tori stood up and walked over to us. She took me by the chin and studied my face, then she looked at Red.

"You have the same eyes," she pointed out.

Red and I smiled at each other. "Funny thing is," I started, "our father has brown eyes. We both got our eye color from our mothers."

Simon snickered. "You two look alike. I can see it now."

Tori nodded, and Derek stared at me. His eyes bore into mine, only to stop when Red cleared his throat.

"I was, um, thinking that maybe... Maybe, since I can fight really well and everything... Can my mate and I stay with you guys?"

Kit's eyes widened. "Of course you can! Who's your mate?"

"Her name is Neige, and she's and ice demon."

"Does she know you two are mates?"

"Yup. She's known for nine months."

He nodded. "Good. Why don't you go and get her?"

Red nodded, pressed his lips to my forehead, then left with a, "I'll be back as soon as I can."

Derek blinked slowly, gaze still on me, and I could tell that he wanted to talk.

"I'm going for a walk," I said, standing up. I walked out of the room, only to hear Derek say that he was going with me. I waited until he caught up before grabbing his hand and leading him into the forest. I turned to him.

"What do you wanna talk about?" I asked him.

"How do you know that Red's your brother and that he's not lying?" he asked quickly. I looked up sharply.

"What?"

He kept his face blank. I sighed.

"You just... know. I guess. I mean, I wasn't shocked at all or anything. It wasn't a surprise," I said.

"But-" Derek started, but I cut him off.

"Why are you so worried about this?" I asked. "Red's not like other werewolves, if that's it. He's sweet, and really nice."

"But how do you know that he isn't an undercover specialist for the Nasts?"

"And how do you know he is?" I snapped. His eyes narrowed.

"I don't trust him, Chloe."

"Well, I do, okay? I don't know what your problem is, but I know Red is an ally. Just trust me on this one, or are you scared that I'm a undercover specialist, too?" I didn't know where the harshness was coming from, and I knew what I'd said was cruel, but I needed him to _trust in me_ on this one.

His eyes softened, and the tension left his shoulders. "Of course not, Chlo," he said softly. "I trust you. I'm just uncomfortable with other wolves here."

I rolled my eyes. "He's not going to overthrow you, alright? I'll keep him in line."

He smiled, and opened his arms to me. I walked right into them and pressed my lips to his. Derek lifted me up and pressed me against a tree. My hands wound themselves in his hair, and my legs wrapped around his waist. We kissed, lips parting against the other's, tongues wrestling for dominance. He tasted great, like mints and... Derek. I don't know how long we stayed there, but when we broke apart, his lips were swollen. I smiled, feeling proud that only I could do this to him.

He leaned forward, pressing his lips to my forehead, then wrapping his arms tightly around me. I pressed my face into his chest, inhaling his scent. He smelled woodsy and musky; there was also an animalistic tinge to it that gave me chills.

"We'd better go in," Derek whispered, breaking the silence. I nodded, and we headed inside.

Red's POV

I pulled up to our house- yes, _our_ house- and stepped inside. At once, I was tackled in a fierce embrace.

"Red, dammit, do you have any idea how freaking scared I was?" Neige snapped, poking me in the chest. "You're four hours late and didn't answer your phone! I was scared that the Cabal had gotten you! I-I-I..." she trailed off as the tears started.

I pulled her into my arms as she cried, and pressed my lips to the top of her head.

"I'm sorry, Baby," I said softly. "I lost track of the time."

She pulled back, eyes still watering. "Lost track of time? Where were you?"

I ran a hand through her soft, paler-than-flesh hair. "Do you remember me telling you about my half-sister, Chloe?"

She nodded, and I continued.

"I found her today."

My mate's eyes widened. "You did? That's great!"

"Yeah, and she offered to let us stay with her. They have the room."

"They?"

"Yeah. It's Chloe, her aunt, Lauren; Derek, Chloe's werewolf boyfriend; Tori and Simon, his foster siblings; and his foster dad, Kit."

"A lot of people," she muttered. I nodded.

"Yeah, but safety comes in numbers. You wanna go?"

She nodded, and a smile gracing her perfect lips. "I've been wanting to meet Chloe- you're always talking about her."

I grinned, and wrapped my arms around her in a tight embrace. "I love you, Neigey. You know that, right?"

"Yes, and I love you, too. But we'd better get going."

I sighed, and we packed what little we had before driving our new home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~h~:)~i~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Neige and I walked into the library to find Chloe hunched over a book.

"Hey, Darling," I said, making her jump. She looked over at me, then her eyes found my mate. Her eyes widened, and she stood up and walked over to us.

"You must be Neige," Chloe said to my girlfriend. Neige nodded, smiling. "I'm Chloe Saunders, Red's sister. It's great to finally meet you." They shook hands, and I looked over at what Chlo had been reading. I skimmed the paragraph, and nearly dropped the book when I found the word, 'sperm'.

"Chloe?" I said uncertainly. She looked up. "What are you reading?"

She laughed. "I'm trying to find out why you're a werewolf."

I checked the cover. "The Official Werewolf Manuscript? Jesus, Chlo. How did you get your hands on this?"

"I swiped it from the Cains when no one was looking. They had, like, five copies."

"So you _stole_ it?"

"Yeah, thanks for dumbing it down for me."

Neige snickered. "So, what did you find?"

Chloe said, "A lot of interesting facts. For instance, did you know that werewolves are deathly afraid of thunderstorms?"

Neige's brows arched. "Oh, really?" She turned to me. "Is that true?"

My face reddened. "Yes... _Chloe_, why did you tell her that?"

She laughed. "Anyway, I have a few theories. But, tell me, Red, did Tia have any lovers before you were born?"

I snorted. "She didn't have lovers- she had one-night stands."

"Right, well, according to the book"- she gestured to the Manuscript- "if there is a lot of different werewolf DNA in one place- aka, werewolf semen- it can change the woman's DNA. Not enough to turn her, but enough to make her child a werewolf."

I nodded. "Anything else?"

She smiled. "Well, if Tia liked rough sex, then-"

"Okay, I get it," I said hurriedly. "You don't need to-"

"Well, _I _don't get it," Neige said with a grin. "Can you explain?"

Chloe snickered. "If Tia liked it rough, and a wolf bit her a bit when they were... into it, then there could be just enough saliva to make the child a wolf if there isn't enough to turn her."

Neige smiled, and I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, yeah. I get it, we know how I'm a wolf now. Now, Chloe, where's your boyfriend? I need to talk to him."

Her heart skipped a beat. "Promise you'll go easy on him, Red. _Promise_."

"I promise. Now, where is he?"

She sighed. "He's in his room, doing homework."

I nodded, kissed my mate chastely, then walked out.

~~~Hehehe...~~~

Derek looked up as I entered his room. It was kinda nice, with a desk in the corner and everything. I nodded in greeting.

"Who's scent is on you?" he asked instead of returning the greeting.

"Neige, my mate."

His eyes narrowed. "Is it official?"

"If you're asking whether or not I've Claimed her, then the answer is yes. She's mine, so stay away from her."

"I'm not interested in her."

I smirked. "Of course not. I think it's my baby sister we have to worry about, now, isn't it?"

His cheeks turned crimson, but he scowled nonetheless. "If you're here to tell me to stay away from her, then you-"

"'I' what? If I wanted to tell you to stay away from her, damn straight I could. And I could do whatever I wanted to make sure you did. I could probably turn almost everyone against you, Derek. I can be very manipulative when I want to be."

He growled, baring his teeth. I snarled back.

"Easy, Souza. I said I could, not that I will. I won't go against you if you don't give me a reason. I'm not like Lauren. And frankly, I don't think my sister would be too happy with me if I did anything. She's the exception; I could never turn her against you. Even if I wanted to. You two have been through _way _too much shit. It's also the reason I can't overpower you and kick your sorry ass out. She'll come right after you. So, rest assured. I'm not interested in taking over. As long as you be fair to us, I'm sure we'll be fine."

He stared at me, eyes burning holes into me. "I don't trust you," he said, eyes narrowed.

"Feeling's mutual."

He nodded slowly. "Why aren't you like other werewolves?"

I grunted. "Same reason you aren't. We've both been raised differently."

He nodded slowly. "So you first Changed nine years ago?"

"Yeah."

He nodded again, eyes still narrowed. "You promise you won't take her from me?"

The question took me by surprise, but I answered. "You promise you won't give me a reason to?"

Derek Souza smiled. It was a tight smile, but it was still a smile. "Promise."

I shook his extended hand, and our eyes locked. It would take work- lots of work- but if we try, I think we'll get along just fine.

As long as we don't kill each other along the way.

**I'm already done with the next one! I just have to edit, so tell me if you want me to put it up (please say yes, please say yes, pleaseohpleaseohplease...)**

**Review!**

**-WiccaChick98**


	3. Wolves of Jealousy

**Hi. This is my THIRD CHAPTER. **

**Apology: Sorry if it's OOC. (fair warning- might be in this one).**

**Disclaimer: I do not own it! But I do own Red and Neige and other characters I created.**

**Warning: From here on out (shoulda put this in last chapter) there's gonna be mild-moderate citrus. I don't think it'll be bad enough to where it'll be M-rated material, but I just wanted to warn you, in case you're offended by sexual jokes. Or implicative stuff.**

Red's POV

I walked downstairs and poured myself a cup of coffee, grunting a, "Good morning" to Kit and Derek, who were sitting at the table and eating breakfast.

"Morning, Red," Kit said cheerfully.

Derek muttered a "Yeah". I smiled, lifting the mug to my lips and welcoming the bitter taste.

Things had improved a bit between us. We were still untrusting towards the other. It was nothing colossal, but we managed to keep the dirty looks we shot at each other when we were in the same room to a minimum.

"Want any coffee, Derek?" I asked the werewolf, who looked like he was about to pass out.

"I'm good."

I nodded. "Alright, you just look like you had a rough night." I swallowed a growl as I thought of things he could have been doing- with my little sister- to make him look so tired.

Kit smiled. "Just had to Change again, is all."

Derek grunted again. I shook my head.

"Do they effect you that much?" I asked him. He shook his head sleepily.

Kit rolled his eyes. "He just couldn't last night. Didn't want to wake Chloe up, so he went out alone."

I nearly spit my coffee out. "You're meaning to say, you went out to Change _alone_? No one was there?"

"No. Why would it matter?"

I sighed. "I'll talk to you about it later. But, Derek?"

"What?"

"If you feel tired now, wait till Chloe finds out. She'll chew you out so much, your ears just might fall off."

Derek groaned, his head hitting the table. I smiled.

"You _sure_ you don't want that coffee?"

He looked up, then sighed. "Get me a mug."

Chuckling softly, I poured him a mug and handed it to him. He thanked me gruffly before taking a sip.

I listened for a second. "Fair warning."

Derek looked up groggily. "Huh?"

"The girls are coming."

He laughed- humorless and tired- before returning to his breakfast. My mate and Chloe walked downstairs in their pj's- Neige in her usual baggy yoga pants and shirt to match, and Chloe in a t-shirt. One sniff told me it was Derek's.

"You're wearing shorts under that, I presume?" I asked my sister, brows arched. She rolled her eyes.

"Of course."

Neige walked over to me and pecked me on the cheek. "Morning, Love."

I smiled, leaning my forehead against hers. "Morning, Baby. Did you sleep well?" I got an eye roll from her in response. Of course she got a good night's sleep- she stayed with me.

Chloe walked over to Derek, who had finished his coffee and looked asleep, with his head on the table. She frowned, reaching out and rubbing his shoulders. Neige and I both watched as she lay her head on his back, sighing. Then she whispered, "You went out for a Change alone last night again, didn't you?"

My mate and I locked eyes, and she mouthed, "Did he?"

I nodded, smirking. Neige shook her head with a smile. Kit caught my eye and raised an eyebrow. I shrugged, still watching Chloe rub his back from the corner of my eye. I could tell Derek was getting drowsy. And I didn't want to break my back from trying to lift him, so I said, "Chloe, why don't you and Derek go upstairs and rest a bit? It's only seven."

She sent me a smile and nodded, then gently shook her boyfriend. "Get up."

He muttered something along the lines of, "Why would I want to get up when you're such a good masseuse?"

"What?"

I held in my laughter when Derek sat up quickly, saying it was nothing, then all but running up to his room. Chloe gave me one of her "Do you have any idea what that was?" looks, and I shrugged. She frowned, then walked upstairs, following Derek.

Neige laughed softly, and I wrapped an arm around her waist. Kit watched us with an amused smile on his face when I dipped my mate before kissing her.

Derek's POV

I walked into my room and damn near fell onto the bed. I curled up under the covers, closing my eyes. Chloe walked into the room and sat down by me. She started running her hand through my hair.

"You know you shouldn't have done that, Der," she whispered. At first I thought she was talking about the masseuse comment, but then remembered my Change.

"Yeah."

My mate sighed and lay down by me, drawing me near. I had no idea what was getting into her (my wolf wished it was me- hint, hint), but I felt comfortable. I rested my face in her neck, closing my eyes and enjoying the moment.

"Derek, you really should get someone to go with you. If no one's there, you're on edge. You're doing more harm than good."

I murmured an apology against her skin, and she took a deep breath.

"I can't believe you didn't come and get me. I wouldn't have minded. You know that."

I pressed myself further into her neck, wanting more physical contact and... well, she smelled really good. Like vanilla and rain and a hint of strawberry.

"You haven't been sleeping well the past few nights. I wanted you to sleep." When I talked, I guess it kind of vibrated her skin, because she shivered and pulled my head closer.

"I just worry about you, Derek. I don't want you to start not taking care of yourself because of me. And, besides, I didn't really get a good night's sleep last night, either. My aunt gave me a pill."

I growled softly, making my mate gasp from the vibration. I pulled back reluctantly with a grumbled apology. "I can't believe she drugged you."

Chloe shrugged. "She thought it would help me sleep. I was awake by one, then I managed to get back to sleep a half-hour later, when the nightmares' after-effects subsided. You wouldn't be disturbing me, Nightingale."

I blushed slightly at her pet name for me. It wasn't fair, how she could come up with something for me quick and easy (even if it _was_ an ironic name), but I had to strain to think of a name that would even come close to comparing to her beauty.

I muttered something unintelligible, even to myself. Chloe sighed.

"Okay, I get it. You just want to sleep."

_Only if I can sleep with YOU!_

_ Wolf..._

_Yeah, yeah. "Shut up, Wolf" or "Stop talking to me, you're annoying!". I have feelings, too, you know!_

_ Shut it._

"I'll just go, then," she said.

I reached out and grabbed her hand as she started to get up. Chloe stared at me for a second.

"What?"

I didn't want to talk. So I just tugged gently on her hand. She rolled her eyes with a smile, and lay down on the bed after shutting the door. I pulled her close, pressing my face into her neck again, inhaling her sweet scent.

_Mmmm..._

_Man, I want her so bad..._

Chloe's hands wound themselves into my hair, and I closed my eyes, enjoying the feel. Softly, she rubbed my scalp, making me press myself into her. She tugged gently at my hair with her other hand, and I let out a small whimper and placed a small yet heated kiss on her neck. My mate's heartbeat increased tenfold, and I pulled away. She gazed at me with her big blue eyes, and I leaned in to kiss her.

Her tongue pressed against my teeth gently, and I granted access. I expected her to fight for dominance, like she usually did when we used tongue, but she just lay in my arms, lips parting softly against mine, stroking the inside of my mouth with her tongue. I closed my eyes in bliss, letting her do whatever she wanted to. My hands ran over her back, one pulling her close and the other winding into her sweet-smelling hair.

My mate pulled away, earning a small growl of protest from me. She laughed, running a hand over my arm, giving me goosebumps. She leaned in and whispered gently, "You need to sleep, Nightingale." Then she pressed her lips to my jaw before laying down. I wrapped my arms around her again, kissing her hair, before closing my eyes.

Red's POV

"Are they at it yet?" Neige asked jokingly. I laughed and shook my head.

"No, I think they're asleep. But I now know the perfect form of blackmail."

"What?"

I leaned in and whispered. "Her nickname for him is Nightingale."

She laughed softly, then pressed her lips to my jaw. "What do you wanna do?"

I opened my mouth to answer, when the front door banged against the wall. Neige and I ran to the front room to see what was wrong.

Lauren stood there with a wheelbarrow, and in it was a dark brown wolf. I looked it over and saw its left paw was bleeding.

"What happened to it?" Neige asked, stroking the canine, who was currently passed out.

"I don't know," Lauren replied. "Found him on the side of the road. I felt bad for him, so I brought him here to heal him up."

I growled softly. "Not a good idea. Wolves are pretty territorial."

"Oh, hush, Jamal," Chloe's aunt said, rolling her eyes. "We have two werewolves to keep him in check. It'll be fine."

Neige looked him over. "He's big for a wolf. You found him on the side of the road?"

"Yup. Poor thing probably got hit."

Kit walked into the room, asking what all of the ruckus was. He froze when he saw the wolf.

"Holy shit, what happened?" he asked.

"Lauren found him on the side of the road and brought him back to heal him," Neige explained as I stared the sleeping creature down.

"Are you _sure_ that's a good idea?" Kit asked.

"It'll be fine. I promise." Lauren said with a frustrated expression.

"Okay, but only until he gets better," I said sternly, as if talking to a child. She glared at me before stomping out of the room, like she _was_ my child.

We successfully managed to get the wolf down into the basement, where I checked him over. He had a broken paw, and his chest was minorly damaged.

"He'll be fine," I said to Neige and Kit. "Just give him a day or two."

~hi~

That night, I woke up to hear a yelp from the basement. I crawled out of bed, grabbing my sweats and pulling them on. I ran into Derek on the way down.

"So you heard that, too?" I asked him. He nodded, eyes flashing.

"I knew we shouldn't have let it stay," he grumbled.

I managed a nod before opening the door. Derek and I walked downstairs cautiously, listening to the yelps as they escalated. It almost sounded like a Change. Chloe's boyfriend and I locked eyes, and I could tell he was thinking the same thing. We ran down the rest of the stairs, to see the wolf crouched down on all fours, as if he _were_ Changing.

We watched as the wolf's fur retracted, revealing skin. His tail receded, then his ears moved farther down his head. His muzzle shrunk back. After he was human again, he lay, panting, on the floor. It took him about two seconds to notice us. When he did, he jumped up with a growl.

"Easy," I said, raising my hands. "We're not going to hurt you if you don't hurt us. What's your name?"

He stared at us, as if contemplating whether or not we were telling the truth. After several long seconds, he finally said, "Zach."

"I'm Red," I said.

"Derek."

Zach nodded slowly.

All three of us looked up as we heard two sets of footsteps coming downstairs. Chloe and Neige walked into the basement.

"What's wrong?" Chloe asked. "We heard you two, and thought one of you was Changing, and-" She stopped when her eyes fell on Zach, who was staring at her like she was a piece of meat. He licked his lips sensually, and she blushed. Derek looked over to Zach and growled, pulling her against him. Zach curled his lip.

Neige looked at him and narrowed her eyes. "I'll go and get you some clothes, Zachary."

I watched Zach as he eyed Chloe, and I saw him lick his lips again. Derek's arm tightened around her, and he pressed his lips to her neck and growled out lowly. She gasped, closing her eyes. Zach growled at him.

"Knock it off, Zachary," I snarled to the wolf. He bared his teeth at me, and I narrowed my eyes at him.

Neige ran back down the stairs with a pair of sweats, and threw them at Zach, who caught them with ease. He pulled them on, and grinned at Chloe. She glared at him, and I cleared my throat.

"You can sleep down here," I told him, and he nodded.

Neige kissed my cheek before walking upstairs, and Derek followed. He looked over at Chloe, who just nodded, telling him to go on ahead, and she'd catch up. He frowned, pressed his lips to her forehead, then walked up. Zach walked over to her.

"Did you want to spend more time with me, Sweetheart?" he asked, reaching for her. She stepped away, and I growled. Zach glared at me before turning to my sister. "You know, it's pretty cold down here, Sweetie. You wanna stay down here with me and make it hot?"

"Back off," I snarled. Zach laughed at me, and sat down on the couch.

"See ya, tomorrow, Sweetie-lips," he whispered sensually to her. She wrinkled her nose in disgust before walking up the steps with me. Derek met us at the top. The look in his eyes told us he'd heard everything. He grabbed Chloe and pressed his lips to hers with a possessive growl. I swallowed a snarl, and reminded myself that he hadn't taken her as his yet, so Zach was a probable threat.

"I want you to stay with me tonight," he whispered against her skin. Chloe nodded. I smiled.

"Hey, you two. Don't start yet. At least wait until you're in his room," I said with a laugh. Darling rolled her eyes, and Derek grabbed her hand and all but dragged her up the stairs, looking back at the basement door to make sure Zach didn't come creeping out.

I shook my head, making my way to Niege's and my room. When I got in, my mate sat up, watching me. I stripped out of my sweats and curled into her as she ran a hand through my hair.

"Love you," she whispered. I kissed her neck.

"Love you, too."

Chloe's POV

(The Next Morning)

I sat down at the table, drinking my raspberry tea, when Zach walked upstairs. His hair was messy, and his hazel eyes were groggy. He smiled when he saw me.

"Good morning. You're looking as beautiful as ever."

I rolled my eyes and returned to my tea. Zach looked me over, and his gaze settled on my bare legs.

"Where's your wolf?" he asked, sitting by me.

"Sleeping."

He inhaled a bit of my scent, and I fought the urge to smack him. "Mmmm... You smell good. Like vanilla and rain and strawberries."

"Thanks. Now, can you please get away from me?"

He shook his head, smiling ruefully. "Sorry. I can't help how attracted I am towards you. You have a really nice body, you know that?"

I glared at him. "Watch it, perv," I snarled, "before I get Derek down here."

"Oh, forget Derek," he whispered, leaning close. I wrinkled my nose. "Why don't you and I have a little fun? It can be our secret. No one has to know. I've been wondering what your flavor is since last night."

"It's poison."

He laughed, stroking the side of my face, laughing again when I bit his finger.

"Feisty, aren't we?" he purred.

"Get away from me, Zachary."

"Nah, I'm good."

"She said get away from her, Zachary."

We both looked up to see Neige standing there, a scowl on her face. Zach laughed.

"What are _you_ going to do to me if I don't?" he asked.

Neige walked up to him and grabbed his arm. She closed her eyes, and I watched as frost gathered on Zach's arm. He yelped and pulled back fast.

"Okay, okay! I get it! I'll go!" he said, walking back into the basement.

"Thanks, Neige," I said, taking a sip of my tea. "There's raspberry tea on the stove, if you want any."

She smiled and poured herself a mug before sitting with me. "How did you sleep last night?"

"Good. You?"

"Great," she said with a smile. I rose my brows, but didn't press into what she had meant.

"You know," I said, looking into my tea. "It's so weird to see Red getting a girlfriend, to see that I'm not the only girl in his life. But I'm glad he finally has someone," I added when she looked up abruptly.

"Are things like that with you and Derek?" she asked, taking a drink of the tea.

"Kinda. We cuddle sometimes, but that's it. I mean, we don't tell each other that we love them- hell, I'm not even entirely sure that he does- but I like our relationship. I feel strong and amazing and beautiful at the same time, which is something no one has ever made me feel before."

"Do _you _love him?" she asked, brows raised. I paused, contemplating whether or not to tell her. I decided I could trust her, and opened my mouth to answer, when the man in question came downstairs. I smiled at him, and he gave me a small grin before turning on the coffee pot. I rolled my eyes, and Neige watched us with a knowing look on her face.

"So, Chloe, do you still sing?" she asked, the question so random and abrupt that I wondered if I had heard her correctly. Derek looked up from where he was trying to pour the right amount of coffee into the filter cup.

"I didn't know you could sing," he said, brows crinkled. I rolled my eyes.

"I can't, really," I lied, making Neige start to laugh.

"Not really? Are you kidding? Red showed me the videos, Chloe. I know how capable you are."

My face reddened. "I stopped singing a long time ago."

Neige's smile faded. "When? Why?"

I shrugged. "When I was thirteen, and it's a long story."

Zach walked up the stairs again, growling at Derek, who growled back. Then he turned to me.

"I have time," he said. "Tell me why you don't sing anymore."

I rolled my eyes. "I had signed up for the school talent show, and decided to sing. I got my dad to come after begging, and he promised he'd watch me. I got up there and sang-"

"What did you sing?" Neige asked, eyes wide.

"My Immortal by Evanescence."

She snorted. "Figures. I already have an idea as to where this is going."

Derek pulled up a chair, taking a drink of his coffee, then wrapping an arm around me. Zach glared at him. I continued to stop them from fighting.

"Anyway, I got up there and sang. About halfway through the song, Dad's phone rang. He answered it, then left the room."

Neige's eyes got huge and sad. Derek looked murderous, then pressed his lips to my forehead. Zach looked sympathetic until Derek kissed me- then, he growled.

"He didn't come back, and I ended up stumbling through the rest. When I got done, I ran into the bathroom and cried so much that the nurse sent me home for the day."

"Did your dad pick you up?" Derek asked, eyes shadowed. I shook my head.

"No, Aunt Lauren did. Dad had already gotten on his plane to Sydney. I promised myself I'd never sing for anyone again."

Zach made a sympathetic noise in the back of his throat, and brushed some of the hair away from my face. Derek smacked his hand away, then pressed his lips to my ear, whispering an, "I'm sorry that happened to you, Chlo". Neige patted my hand with a smile.

Red walked downstairs and looked at me sadly. I knew he'd heard it from the glint in his eyes. He ran a hand through his dark auburn hair.

"At least you have us," he said with an attempted smile. I laughed.

"I guess I do, don't I?"

"As long as you want me, I'll be here," Derek muttered against my hair, which he was currently kissing. Zach glared at him, and Red arched his brows and sent me a surprised smile.

Five minutes later, Kit walked down the steps and poured himself a cup of coffee. He greeted us cheerfully, but it faded as his eyes settled on Zach.

"Who's that?" he asked us. Red shrugged.

"He's the werewolf Lauren found yesterday," he replied evenly. Kit gaped at him.

"You're a _werewolf_?"

Zach nodded. "Yup. Full-blooded."

"How old are you?"

"Sixteen."

Kit nodded, then muttered something about "getting Lauren". I watched with an amused smile, and the werewolves covered their ears just as my aunt screamed, "WHAT?"

Neige and I laughed as she ran down the steps, hairbrush in her hand, and stared at Zach. He looked around uncomfortably.

"I want to thank you for saving my life," he said after an awkward moment of silence. "Without your help, I might have died. I owe you a debt of gratitude."

She looked flabbergasted. "You don't owe me anything."

Zach sighed. "Alright, but you remind me of Chloe quite a bit. You both look like teenagers, and have the same gorgeous looks."

Her face reddened and she smiled. "Why, thank you, Zachary." Then she walked up the stairs.

We all turned to Zach.

"How the hell did you do _that_?" I asked incredulously.

He chuckled. "I pulled the, charm-the-lady-by-telling-her-she-looks-like-her-beautiful-relative trick. Works every time."

I rolled my eyes. "Thanks. But you still creep me out."

He sent me a devious grin, flashing his teeth. "Maybe that's the point."

~HI~

The next day, I was reading in the library when Zach walked in. He smiled at me, wrapping an arm around me and pulling me close. I pulled away, and he sighed, running a hand through my hair. I tried not to flinch away, knowing that he fed on fear more than anything else.

"Hey, Baby," he purred, leaning in. I took a step back and he frowned. "I have an idea. I see the way Derek treats you, and I thought that maybe I could treat you better. I've decided to ask you... You wanna run away with me? Start our own pack and raise our own pups?"

I took another step back, and ended up falling onto the couch. I tried to scramble up, but he was right beside me in a split second, pinning me down.

"I can make you happy in ways that Derek can only dream of doing. I know how to get us money. I can do whatever you want, whenever you want. Just, please, Baby. Don't make me feel like we don't have anything."

"We _don't_ have anything," I snapped, trying to get up, but he held me down.

"Then let's make us into something," he growled, leaning in. I yelped, closing my eyes, as his lips neared my neck.

He pulled back fast, swearing under his breath. "You're brother's coming. I've gotta scram," he said, then ran from the room. I relaxed, then Red walked in and sat by me.

"Why do you smell like Zach?" he asked. I took a deep breath, and told him.

By the time I was done, he looked furious.

"Don't tell anyone," I whispered. "Please. I don't want to cause any more trouble."

Red sighed. "Fine. But I will have a little talk with Zachary. Alright?"

I nodded, and he walked out of the room. I lay down on the couch and closed my eyes, feeling exhausted, letting sleep take me.

Derek's POV

I looked around for Chloe- hoping to god that she wasn't with Zach- and finally found her asleep on the couch in the library. I sat down beside her, watching her. If there was any word that was ten-thousand times better than "gorgeous", then that would be the word I'd use to describe how she looked. Her hair was spread out around her like a halo, and her lips were parted slightly. I traced the lines of her face unconsciously, and she smiled in her sleep. I shook my head to clear my thoughts, and picked her up, bridal style, and carried her to my room. I lay her down on my bed-

_Don't you mean, "Our bed"?_ the Wolf asked.

_No, it's mine._

_But she's slept here. Her scent is in the sheets._

_ Yeah, but that doesn't make it, "Our bed"._

_So what will?_

_ If we get married, then it will be considered, "Our bed"._

_Don't you mean, "_When_ we get married"?_

_ Shut it._

I mentally growled at the Wolf, and he snapped at me. I sighed and pulled on my sweats before crawling into bed. I pressed my lips to her forehead.

"Goodnight, Chloe," I whispered to her, before slowly drifting off.

**There you are! I hope you like it! And what do you think of Zach?**

**-WiccaChick98**


	4. Challenged Wolves

**Hey! It's moi! 1: OOC. Sorry if it is. 2: I don't own the series. 3: Shout-outs to all of my readers! Including a friend of mine from my town who's reading my stories! (If you're reading this, Cowgirl34, tell me! lol)**

**Oh, and you get to see Neige use her powers for real! (Or, at least, more than she did last time.)**

Red's POV

I stalked into the front room, where Zach was watching football on TV. Neige, Chloe, and Tori were out shopping with Lauren, and Derek was out for a run. Simon was on the computer, and Kit had gone out to get groceries.

Zach had messed with the wrong werewolf.

I let out a growl, telling him I was here, and that I meant business. He jumped up, bristling, until he saw it was me. He calmed down fractionally.

"What's up?" he asked.

I glared at him, grabbed the remote, and turned the television off.

"_Hey!_" he snapped. "The Dolphins were just about to score against the Lions!"

"We need to talk," I snarled. He shut up and sat down on the couch, eyes narrowed.

I knew what he was doing. He was trying to catch me off guard. Make me think that he had calmed down, then pounce. I had been a wolf for too long to fall for that ploy. I forced myself to let my shoulders drop and act cool.

"It's about Chloe," I said, making sure there was no bite in the words.

"Ah, the jewel," Zach purred. "A pretty thing, huh?"

"That's not the point."

"Of course it isn't. You were going to tell me that you want your baby sister to be safe. That I needed to-"

"Stay away from her," I snapped icily. Zachary was too spoiled- thought everything was his; he could just take what he wanted and throw it away as he pleased. But my sister wasn't going to be one of his little chew-toys. I'd make sure of that.

Zach shrugged. "I was going to say, "protect her"."

"Don't you get it? I said to stay away from her. She's not going to be one of your little toys you just throw away once your done with."

He smiled. "That's the thing. I don't think I'll ever get tired of her. She's special. I can make her last a lot longer than my other "toys"."

I grabbed him by the shirt collar. "Stay. Away. From. Her."

His hazel eyes turned dark with anger. "And if I don't?"

"Then you're in for one helluva fight."

He laughed bitterly. "I don't think you know what you're up against."

"Neither do you."

He let out a snarl and raised his fist to punch me.

The door opened, and Chloe, Neige, and Tori walked in. Zach dropped his fist and smiled flirtatiously at Darling. She rolled her eyes.

"Where's Derek?" she asked me.

"Out for a run."

She nodded, and Tori laughed.

"You know, it's too bad we had to be home by five. Otherwise, I would've dragged the two of them to Victoria's Secret."

Neige and Chloe looked terrified, which made me feel partially bad for imagining Neige in skimpy little outfits. Partially.

Zach, on the other hand, showed no guilt whatsoever. He grinned at Chloe, licking his lips, eyes trailing up and down her body, finally lingering on her chest. He licked his lips again.

Chloe shivered uncomfortably, and I growled warningly at Zach. He looked at me, eyes burning with cold hatred for ruining his fun.

"Remember what I told you," I said so softly that only he could hear. His eyes narrowed into slits, and he flipped me the bird before walking off.

"What was that about?" Chloe asked.

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "Zach and I had a little talk. Didn't end well."

Her face paled, and I knew she knew what I had been telling him. Tori's eyes widened, and she reached out and touched my sister's shoulder.

"What are you guys talking about?" she asked. Neige frowned.

"Zach likes Chloe."

She pouted. "Dammit! All of the werewolves like Chloe, and not me! Derek, Liam, Red, and now Zach!"

I narrowed my eyes at her. "First, I'm her brother. Second, a lot of werewolves being interested in you is _not_ a good thing. Third, who the hell is Liam?"

Chloe looked up meekly. "He was the werewolf that Derek killed."

I nodded, remembering how Chloe told me that he just may have raped her, had Derek not been there to protect her. I owed him for that. But I wouldn't admit it out loud.

The back door opened, then shut, and I heard Derek walk into the bathroom. The shower turned on. I rolled my eyes.

"Is he self-conscious, or something?" I asked.

Chloe nodded. "In his old school, he had really bad acne and..." She trailed off, looking away. Tori sighed.

"He had really bad acne and really bad BO. His hair was always lanky."

"And the way he got girls to leave him alone was by threatening to go out with them."

I laughed softly. "Didn't work on you, huh?"

She blushed. "Well, it didn't exactly happen like that."

Tori snickered. "It was more along the lines of, "When he kissed me, I felt the fireworks go off in my heart, and I knew that he'd be the one I'd like to spend the rest of my life with." Totally cheesy."

Chloe shook her head. "It wasn't like that, either. Well, not exactly. It was more like- wait a minute. Why am I telling you this?"

Neige snickered.

The shower shut off, and I heard the curtain open. Chloe looked up, face still red.

"He's done?" she asked. I nodded.

"Yeah. Give him about five minutes and he'll be out and dressed for you."

"Though you wouldn't mind if he skipped the _getting dressed_, hmm, Chloe?" Tori said with a laugh. Darling's eyes widened, and she gaped at the witch.

Lauren walked into the house with several shopping bags.

"Can you guys help me with this, please?" she asked, and we all walked to the car to carry a countless number of bags into the house.

"Jeez, Baby," I said to Neige as we were unloading. "How much stuff did you buy?"

She laughed. "I think only two bags are mine. Chloe had three, but only because Tori made her buy jewelry. The rest are Tori's and Lauren's."

I looked at the bag that said, _Hot Topic_ on it, and said, "So, the one from Hot Topic is yours?"

She nodded. "Mine and Chloe's both. We shared a bag so her aunt wouldn't throw a fit because Chloe was "buying things that were very inappropriate for her to wear at her young age"." She said the last part in a high voice.

I rolled my eyes. "She's fifteen, not three."

"I know, and she was always looking at things, like makeup, that might make a boy take a second look towards her, but Lauren wouldn't shut up about how she didn't need it because she was pretty enough already, or she was too young to wear eyeliner."

We were in our room now, and I sighed. "Poor girl. Did you at least get her to try something on?"

She nodded. "But she made me promise not to tell anyone."

I rose an eyebrow. "What? That she has a belly-button ring?"

She rolled her eyes. "No, that she looked great. If Lauren knew how good of a body Chloe had, she wouldn't even let her leave the house."

I felt my face pale. "Does she look that good?"

Neige nodded quickly. "Yeah. Like a short model."

I groaned and pressed my face into my hands. Neige sat by me and rubbed my back.

"She's all grown up," I muttered. Neige laughed.

"Yes, but at least she knows who to trust."

I looked up. "What?"

She shrugged. "You know what I mean. I may not know Derek that well, but I know that he would never hurt her on purpose. He'll be good to her."

I groaned again. "She doesn't need me to protect her anymore."

My mate smiled, resting her head on my shoulder. "No, but she _does_ need a brother to come to when she's upset, and Derek can't help."

I closed my eyes, breathing through my nose. "I'm just... She's so mature now, and she's such a beautiful girl... I worry for her all the damn time. And I worry about you..."

I felt lips press softly to my cheek. I smiled and pulled Neige onto my lap, kissing her. She ran a hand through my hair, and I rubbed her back, all of the blood in my body shooting to my better parts. I could tell my mate noticed, because she moaned softly into my mouth. I lay down on the bed, pulling her with me. And, for the first time that day, I didn't have to worry about anything.

Derek's POV

I made a face as I heard Red and Neige at it in their room. It was times like these when I really hated my super-hearing capabilities.

Chloe knocked on my door, and I let her in. She smiled at me before wrapping her arms around my neck and pulling me down for a kiss. I lowered her down onto the bed (for easier kissing- I still don't think we're ready for sex), and she licked my lower lip. I pressed her tighter against my body, and she ran her hands through my hair, rubbing my scalp. Then, one of her hands moved down to my face, where she cupped my cheek. I let her caress me all she wanted- do you _really_ think I'd complain?-, and rubbed up and down her back.

Suddenly, I felt an urge to do... something. I wanted more physical contact. My hands traced the edge of her shirt, but I refrained from taking it off. Instead, I moved my hands to her stomach, and I touched the warm skin was showing from where her shirt had ridden up. Chloe moaned softly, which spurred me on. I moved my hand up her body, until it rested on her-

The gears in my head started turning again, making me jump back as if I had burned her. I stared at her, and saw she was breathing a bit unevenly. There was a hooded look in her eyes, lust along with something I couldn't identify.

I think that was why I didn't apologize. With her looking at me like that, I couldn't bring myself to say it. Plus, I didn't regret what I had done.

Chloe stared at me, then wrapped her arms around me again, pressing her lips to mine. This one was even sweeter than the other, more passionate. When we pulled apart for air, her cheeks were divinely flushed, and her lips were as red as cherry oakwood. It made her look extremely hot and sexy, and I thanked god that Zach wasn't in here right now.

There was a knock on the door, and I heard Lauren's voice. "Chloe, could you help me with dinner?"

My mate and I stared at each other, eyes huge. Chloe called out, "Just a second.", and pulled a tube of lipstick out of her pocket. I watched as she applied it, turning her lips bright pink, and hiding the evidence that we had been kissing.

"I hate this color," she whispered, resting her head against my chest. "But it covers." She pecked my cheek gently before walking out of the room to help her aunt who- in my opinion- had terrible timing.

Chloe's POV

After dinner, which I hadn't screwed up, I was in my room when there was a light knock on the door. It was Neige, and I let her in.

"What's up?" I asked.

"Oh, just thought we could talk while Red thinks of different ways to kill Zach," she replied making me laugh.

"I was wondering if I could ask you something," I said without thinking.

Neige nodded. "Shoot."

"Red had mentioned sometime that he had "claimed" you. What's that mean?"

She nodded, as if she had known this was coming. "It means he's taken me as his mate."

I kept hearing that word (mate) everywhere, but I didn't want to ask. "How does he do that?"

"Sex."

"Oh," I muttered, face reddening. "So, if you have sex with a werewolf, then you're his mate? Then how did Tia-"

She looked up. "What? No, sorry. I should've explained better. Claiming a mate happens during sex. It's all in the intention. A werewolf Claims his mate during intercourse by producing chemicals that get into the mate and mix with her scent. It's in that Manuscript you had."

"Oh. So, you can have sex with a werewolf and _not_ be his mate?"

She nodded. "Yeah. It's how werewolves used to reproduce. They'd get the woman pregnant, and if it was a boy- which meant it was a werewolf-, they'd take it and run."

I gasped. "Why? That would crush the mother!"

Neige sighed. "I know. It's disgusting. But now that werewolves know that there are other Supernaturals out there, they let the mother and baby stay together- as long as she's a Supernatural."

I sighed in relief. "So Derek won't try to run away with our baby if we have one."

She looked stricken. "Of course not! Even if you _were_ human, he'd still let you stay together!"

"Why?"

Neige shrugged, looking uncomfortable. "He's not like other werewolves."

I snorted. "You got that right."  
>Neige laughed. "Yeah, but Red's hotter."<p>

I grinned, finally having someone to compare boyfriends with. "Yeah? Well, my Derek is a genius."

"Red has more musical talent."

"Derek is a sweetheart in actuality."

"Red has had more experience as a werewolf."

"Derek has the greenest eyes anyone could have."

"Red has the nicest hair."

"Derek has an eight-pack."

"Red is the best at playing pranks."

"Derek's the best kisser."

"Red knows how to give me personal space."

"Derek has the nicest ass."

Neige laughed, and I realized what I had said. I opened my mouth to take it back, when she said, "Red is _awesome_ in bed."

I threw my hands up. "Too far! Too much information! Didn't need that image!"  
>She laughed again, and lay down on across my bed. I picked up the Manuscript and opened it to the index. I looked up, "Changes", and turned to page 137.<p>

"Whatcha doing?" Neige asked.

"Reading something."

She nodded as I skimmed the paragraph.

_A werewolf has to Change into a wolf regularly in order to keep in control. Though quite painful, the Change helps werewolves learn to hone their senses and get used to their wolf body. When a werewolf first successfully Changes, the Second Mind, of Wolf-Brain, for lack of a better term, becomes present. For more information on the Second Mind, turn to page 196._

_When a werewolf Changes, he only lets family come, with the exception of his mate (mates- page 203). During a Change, a werewolf is very vulnerable to attacks, so they usually appreciate it when someone tags along. Plus, the comfort from a loved one helps soothe the pain quite a bit. It allows the wolf to relax, knowing there is someone in the world who accepts him for who he is, and will protect and look after him._

This only confused me more. I knew that a Change was painful, but I didn't think it was so bad that he _needed_ someone there. Poor Derek.

"Hey," Neige said. I looked up.

"Yeah?"

"You just looked upset for a second, so I was wondering if you were okay."

I nodded. "Are Changes really that painful?"

She sighed. "Yeah, but they get used to it. But don't make them uncomfortable. It'll only make it harder for them."

"Makes sense. So the only people werewolves let go with them for Changes would be their family and their mate?"

"Yup."

I leaned back against the headboard, and thought of why Derek would let me go with him. I mean, I didn't know what a "mate" was, and I wasn't family... unless "family" also included "girlfriend". Or, maybe, because I was the first one who saw him like that, then I was an "exception".

"So," Neige started, snapping me out of it, "you never did answer my question from yesterday. Do you love him?"

I felt the heat rise to my cheeks, and I whispered, "Yes."

Red's POV

(The Next Day)

I walked back in from my run in the park, and saw Chloe sitting on the couch, watching me with a dark look in her eyes.

"Where do you think you were?" she asked. I looked at her funny.

"I was going for a run in the park?"

"Did you tell anyone?"

"Neige."

She glowered at me, and narrowed her eyes. "Do you have any idea how stupid that was? The St. Clouds could've caught you? You could have been hurt!"

Then she left the room, and I stood there, wondering what the hell had happened.

My mate walked into the room. "What was _that_ about?"

"I have no idea."

That was a lie. I had a... hunch as to what was going on, but I _really_ didn't want to believe it. Not yet, anyway. I hoped to god that I was wrong- that it was just her protective streak finally showing up.

That was probably it. Her protectiveness showing. Not the alternative.

Besides, she was too young for the alternative to happen.

"Red?" Neige muttered, snapping me out of it. "Are you _sure_ you don't know what's up with her?"

"No."

She rolled her eyes, and pressed her lips to mine.

"Oh, so you can make out with your mate, but I can't even _touch_ mine?" a voice snarled through the doorway. I pulled back and glared at the sneering werewolf.

"Zachary, she isn't your mate."

"And how do you know that?"

How did I know that? Because werewolves actually _care_ about their mate's well-being. Unlike Zach.

He snorted when I voiced my thoughts. "You have no idea what I think."

I growled, walking towards him. "I told you to stay away from her, and I expect my orders to be followed through."

Zach smirked evilly. "Oh? And who made you Alpha? I thought it was Kit."

"I may not be Alpha, but I _am_ higher-ranking than you. So you will obey."

Zach stepped towards me with a low snarl, teeth bared. My hackles raised, and the Wolf stirred inside of me, waiting to Change. I growled and prepared myself to lunge.

A hand lay on my shoulder and stopped me.

"Red."

I kept my eyes on Zach, whose eyes burned cold.

"Red!"

All I could see was him, the stubborn ass who was threatening us.

"_Jamal_!"

My gaze flew to my mate at the sudden urgency in her tone. I grabbed her by the shoulders, Zach forgotten.

"Neige."

She met my eyes, her ice blue orbs calming me down partially. "He isn't worth the effort."

He lunged then, and my mate stepped in front of me. Before I could shove her aside, she grabbed his chin. Zach froze, standing there in shock. After a second, his skin started to turn a freezing shade of blue.

A whimper escaped his lips, and he tried to pull back, but Neige held strong. Her eyes bore into his, and I could see the intense anger and dominance in them.

"You may not be scared of my mate," she whispered icily. "But you should be. He can beat you so hard, the only thing left of you will be a tiny, crippled figure that is so ugly, blind children cry from the sight of it." Her grip on him tightened, and I could see frost forming on his skin. "But that? That's _nothing_ compared to what I can do to you, Zachary. Keep that in mind. And remember, I don't care what the hell you think- you're the Omega. And it will stay that way until we decide to change it. Understood?"

A low whine. He understood.

"Good." She released her grip on him, and he gasped for air, face thawing out. He stared at her in horror before fleeing the room. If he'd been a wolf, his tail would've been in between his legs.

My shoulder muscles relaxed, and Neige wrapped her arms around my neck. I leaned closer, burying my face in her neck. Inhaling her cinnamon-y smell.

"That was hot," I whispered. "But dangerous." I pulled away, holding her at arms width. "If you ever do something like that again-"

"Save it," she laughed, kissing me softly. "You and I both know that whatever you threaten, I'll go on and do it again. Maybe even just to piss you off."

I growled softly. "Not funny, Neige."

"Wasn't trying to be, Babe."

I narrowed my eyes, but knew it was worthless, anyway. She wouldn't listen to me if I told her not to put herself in danger. She reminded me of Chloe so much. Or Chloe reminded me of her. I couldn't decide which it was.

"Red? Do you think Chloe is Zachary's mate?" Neige asked suddenly, eyes huge.

"No, absolutely not. If she was, then Zach would've backed off a long time ago. A werewolf can't cause discomfort to their mate intentionally."

"But what if it wasn't intentional?"

That made me stop and think. Two wolves _could_ like the same she-wolf, but usually, the one with the higher-ranking got her. If the wolf who didn't get her was brave- or stupid- enough, he could challenge the other wolf to a fight- the one that wins gets the girl. If the challenger lost, he'd be banished from the pack. If the challenged one lost, he'd have to give up his mate. But if the wolf was already extremely attached, or he just didn't want to give her up (more common than not), he might try to get her to run away and start their own pack...

The thoughts ran together.

_Two wolves. Same she-wolf. Challenge. Fight. Run away. Start own pack._

_Two wolves like the same she-wolf. One challenges. They fight. Loser runs away. With she-wolf to start a pack. Raise their own pups._

_Two wolves like the same she-wolf. One challenges the other. They fight. The one that loses runs away with the she-wolf to start their own pack and raise their own pups._

I bent the words a bit.

_Two wolves are in love with the same she-wolf. The she-wolf loves one of the wolves, and stays with him. The other wolf challenges the wolf to a fight. The prize is the she-wolf. The first wolf refuses- he isn't about to put his love at risk. So the second wolf asks the wolf's lover if she can run away with him to start their own pack and raise their own pups._

_Zach and Derek both like Chloe. Chloe is with Derek. Derek hates Zach. Zach hates Derek. Zach wants Chloe, but Derek keeps her close when Zach is around. Zach gets Chloe alone and asks her to run away with Zach and start their own pack and raise their own pups. Chloe refuses._

What happens after that? In a pack...

In a pack, the wolf will usually try to turn everyone against his enemy and get him kicked out.

_Dammit._

How many people can Zach turn against Derek? Lauren, definitely. But who else? Was Kit wary of Derek? Even the smallest hint of doubt could grow into something huge. What about Simon? Tori?

I knew I wasn't a concern- unless Derek broke Chloe's heart, I'd stand by them and make sure they're okay.

Neige was with me, and she liked Chloe. So she was fine.

And I knew the pack's ranking. Alpha: Kit. Beta: Lauren. Middle Group (starting from highest ranking): Derek and Chloe, Simon, Tori, Neige and me. Then the Omega: Zach. It would take a lot of work to climb up to the top for him. But it wasn't impossible.

My mate looked up at me, as if she knew what I was thinking. Her ice-blue eyes were full of worry.

"I'm scared for Chloe," she whispered. I leaned down and kissed her softly.

"Me, too."

Chloe's POV

(A Few Hours Later)

I paced around the room. I was fuming. Derek had gone out for a run for the third time today! I mean, I know he needs to run and get exercise and all, but the Cabal could easily catch him!

Aunt Lauren was sitting on the couch along with Neige, Red, and Tori. They were all watching me. I could feel all of their gazes on me- Tori was slightly disgusted and wary, Red and Neige were worried, and Aunt Lauren was distasteful. I turned to them.

"I can't believe he went out for a run, when it's so dangerous out!" I hissed.

I didn't know where this was coming from- I was almost as protective of Derek was. But part of me didn't care. My boyfriend was out there, and he could be hurt! I mean, I know he can take care of himself, but he usually doesn't if it means it puts us in danger! He'd go with the Cabal if they caught him, just to make sure they didn't find us.

Aunt Lauren cleared her throat. "I don't get what the big deal is. I mean, he's no one important. Just a filthy mutt."

Tori gasped. Red and Neige froze. Zach, who had just walked into the front room, got a shadowed look in his eyes. I wheeled on Aunt Lauren.

She looked at me innocently. "What?"

I snapped. I screamed- no, snarled- at her, the words coming out of my mouth before I could stop them. Then I ran upstairs and into my room, wondering why the in the world I was acting like this.

Or more importantly, when Derek would be home so I could scold him for going out.

**Poor Chloe! So confused! If you're confused, the info will be in the next chappie! (More or less)**

**-WiccaChick98**


	5. Wolves and Mates

**Hey-o! It is me, Jess! How've you been? Any birthdays? Did Aunt Ruthie go into labor last week, hmm?**

**Sorry, just trying to be friendly.**

**Anyway, here you go!**

**Disclaimer: Me no ownie Darkest Powers.**

**Warning: Has a bit of sexual content, but I don't think it's too bad, for all you prude people out there (no offense if you are prude- it's cool).**

**Apology: Sorry if it's OOC.**

Red's POV

"Hey, Chloe," I said as I walked into the living room. Darling smiled at me.

"Hey, Red."

I got a bottle of water and sat down on the couch. I took a drink.

There was something I needed to find out- if the wolf was treating my sister right.

"So, how are things going between you and Derek?" I asked her. She shrugged.

"Fine, why?"

"Just wondering." I paused. "You two seem really happy together."

She grinned, voice catching a dreamy tone as she said, "Yeah, we are."

"He's treating you right? No yelling at you?"

"Only when I put myself in danger."

That was alright- I was like that with my mate, Neige. "And he's not abusing you, is he?"

"Of course not."

I nodded. There was one more thing I needed to figure out. "And you two are using protection...?" I lifted the bottle of water to my lips.

"We haven't had sex."

I gagged, nearly spewing the water out. "What? How long have you been dating?"

"Five months and counting."

"Since _April_?"

"That was five months ago, Red."

I blinked hard. "Damn, he must have some serious self control!"

Her eyes widened. "Why?"

"Because a werewolf..." I trailed off, then shook my head. "When does autumn officially start?"

"The twenty-second. Aka, next week. Why does it matter?"

I ran my hands through my hair. "Chloe, are you familiar with the term, "Mating Season"?"

"Uh-huh..."

"That's when it starts. Werewolves... They have Mating Season to, um... How much do you know about werewolves?"

"They Change into wolves, and they take on some wolf traits."

"Yeah, about the last one... Oh, god..." Why was I giving her the Wolfie Talk, you ask? Because no one else probably bothered to do it. Her aunt might, but she'd make it sound horrible and disgusting. "Werewolves have Mating Season so they can have pups, which are-"

"Werewolf babies."

"Yeah. And with actual wolves, their pups are born in the spring."

Chloe smirked. "Let me guess, werewolves want to have _their_ pups in the spring, too?"

I nodded. "Do you know anything about werewolf pregnancy?"

"No, but can I guess?"

"Sure."

Chloe leaned against the couch. "A normal wolf pregnancy is about nine weeks, but werewolf pups are part human, too, so they take longer to develop, but not as long as a normal human baby. Wolves like to have their pups in the late winter to early spring, so the pups will be starting to hunt when it's summer, and the food is plentiful. So if a werewolf's mating season is in the fall, and their pups are to be born in late spring... a pregnancy term with a pup would be about one hundred and fifty days, right?"

I nodded, relieved that I didn't have to explain all of it. "Wait, do you know about werewolf sex?" Oh, shit. I hope she knows so I won't have to explain-

"No. Why, is it special, or something?"

Me and my big mouth. "Very. A wolf is very attached to his mate... You know what that is, right?"

"Wolves are monogamous. Are werewolves, too?"

"Yeah."

"So a werewolf's mate would be his one and only..."

"Yeah. Werewolves are really, extremely attached to their mate. So their physical relationship should be special, too, right?"

"Anybody's physical relationship should be special."

"I mean _more_ special. For example, a thing about werewolves is that... They can only climax if their mate is the one touching them, and no matter what, the werewolf's mate has to orgasm first in intercourse. The werewolf wants to make sure that his mate is satisfied before he even thinks of orgasm. And if the werewolf hasn't found his mate yet, then he can orgasm in intercourse if he wants to."

Chloe nodded, and I watched her for a moment.

"Have you guys talked about sex?"

"A few times."

"How far have you gotten?"

Her face reddened a bit as she said, "Once, he copped a feel."

I managed to hold my laugh in. "And what did he say?"

"He didn't say anything. Just blushed as he realized what he was doing."

I rolled my eyes with a smile.

"Red?" When I looked at Chloe, I noticed her cheeks had flushed a bit more. "Am I-"

She cut off as she looked up behind me. "Hi, Der."

I turned around to see Derek Souza watching me with a confused expression.

"I need to talk to you," he told me in his deep voice. I nodded, and followed him out into the hallway. When we got out of hearing range, he wheeled on me.

"Were you giving her the Werewolf Sex Talk?" he demanded. I nodded.

"It was either me or her aunt, and we both know that would've turned out nastily."

He shuddered. "Still, why did you give her the talk?"

"Simple, big guy. First day of fall is coming up next week."

It took a second before recognition passed through his eyes. He looked downright scared.

"Oh, shit," he muttered. "I don't know if-"

"Sucks, huh? At least Neige and I are already..." I trailed off, letting him fill in the blank. After a minute, I said, "Derek, she _is_ your mate, right?"

He looked down, and I felt a wave of anger pass through me. I grabbed his shirt collar, and made him look into my eyes.

"Listen to me. Chloe has never, ever, _ever_ talked to me about a guy before. At least, not the way she talks about you. She really cares about you, and she wants to stay with you for quite a while. If she isn't your mate, I'll understand, but you need to let her down easy. If she comes crying to me about it, saying you just dumped her for another girl, I swear to god I will rip your arms off and beat you to death with them. Do. I. Make. My. Self. Clear?"

He nodded, and I let go of his shirt.

"You didn't give me time to answer," he muttered. "She's my mate. And... I love her a lot. I just don't know..." He sighed, and ran a hand through his hair. "I have absolutely no idea how to show her that I care, and I'm scared that I'll just end up losing it and hurting her, or that I'll be a disappointment."

I relaxed my shoulders, the Wolf calming down. "You're _not_ a disappointment," I said softly. "At least, not to Chloe. It's obvious that she loves you. You can see it in her eyes."

Derek nodded, eyes still on the ground. I sighed, a bit dramatically.

"You don't believe me?"

"Not really."

I rolled my eyes up to the ceiling. "I, for one, know that she _does_ love you, and she _is_ your mate. And you're hers."

He looked up abruptly. "How? Did she tell you?"

"No, but did you see the way she chewed me out for going for a run in the park?"

"She did what?"

"Yeah. She yelled at me. Told me I was stupid for doing something like that, where I could've gotten caught. Remind you of anyone?"

He grunted. "She was just worried. It's a sign that she loves you. Congratulations."

"I'm her brother. And that's not the only time. There was this one time, Lauren was talking about you behind your back, and she called you a filthy mutt."

Derek winced. "Ouch. Guess she still hates me."

"Not the point. Chloe was the first one to stand up for you. She said, and I quote, "Derek is not a filthy mutt, you're just too blinded by your hatred towards him. I'm sick of you acting like you can get away with being a bitch, but you can't. I'm tired of you doing this to him, so you can either accept the fact that we're together, and that he's a werewolf, or get the hell out." Unquote. But you know what? She _snarled_ it. Like a werewolf snarl."

"That did _not_ happen."

"You can ask her. But, Derek, I don't know why you think that she doesn't love you. You're _her_ mate. She took on your traits. And, besides, didn't she used to be skittish as a rabbit?"

"She still is."

"Sure, for everyone but you. Have you ever noticed how whenever you walk into the mall to meet her, she's the first one to notice you? Even with me added to the bunch?"

"Simple. She has maternal instincts."

"Maternal...?" I scoffed. "More like _mate_-ernal! She loves you! Why can't you see that?"

"Maybe, if she told me, then I might listen. I'm not taking any chances until I know for sure."

I growled, a sound low and deep in the back of my throat. Derek looked up sharply.

"What?"

"You're a selfish ass. You know that, right? Dammit, Souza, she _loves_ you. And she will love you no matter what. Don't you get it?"

"If she loves me so much," he snarled back, "then why hasn't she told me?"

"She's scared."

"She's scared... of me?" The snarl had dropped out of his voice, and was replaced with panic.

"No, she's scared of how she feels."

"Why?"

I sighed, and led him into the woods. When we were far enough from the house, I turned to face him.

"Derek, how many people has she lost?"

He stared at me, face impassive. I didn't know how a guy like him could change from scared to blocked in so little time.

I rolled my eyes. "Let's see, Jennifer, Lauren, Steven, Rae, Liz-"

"I get it. A lot of people left her, or betrayed her in some way. What's any of it got to do with me?"

"What do they all have in common?" Not waiting for him to answer, I said, "She loved them. Dearly. They were people she thought she could trust, and she wasn't scared to. But then what happened? They left her with nothing but a broken heart. She's protective- not just of her family, but of herself. She doesn't want to end up as the broken one again. She doesn't want to have to pick up all the pieces. If you wait too long to tell her, Souza, then she'll get the idea that you don't love her. She'll feel like a temporary girl, which is the very thing she's afraid of. If you manned up and told her, she might actually tell you not to stop the next time you cop a feel!"

His face turned red. "You know about that?"

"She told me."

"Why?"

"Because I was wondering how far you two have gotten. But, Derek, it isn't the point. I want you to tell her now, so you won't lose her forever to someone else... Zach, maybe?"

Derek growled. He hated Zachary with a passion, which was completely understandable, considering Zach had taken interest in Chloe the second he walked through the door. I didn't like him, either- he made Darling uncomfortable.

Zach was a werewolf, Derek's age. He always had to be touching my sister in some way, and snarled at Derek when he was near her. I remember what Chloe had told me about him that she made me swear not to tell anyone- that he had asked her to run away with him so that they could start their own pack. I ended up having a little talk with him, which ended with a growling match between the two of us. Zach had raised his fist to punch me, then Chloe, Tori, and Neige walked into the room, so he stopped.

"I hate him," Derek snarled, eyes narrowing. "He's an ass, and he doesn't know how to keep his hands to himself, and not touch what is clearly the other werewolf's."

"As far as he's concerned, Chloe _is_ his. That's why you need to tell her before Mating Season starts. If Zach likes hanging around Darling so much, then I don't think it's such a good idea to leave her alone for a while. And remember her scent."

Chloe's scent. It was partially the scent itself- vanilla, rain, and strawberries- that attracted werewolves; it was also what _wasn't_ in the scent that mattered. Derek. He could hang around her all he wanted to, but it wouldn't stop other wolves from thinking of her as unmarked territory. As long as his scent wasn't mixed with hers as a claim, werewolves saw her as easy prey. Neige was like that, too, until I took her. Now, Zach and Derek both stay away from her.

Derek sighed. "I just don't want to hurt her at all..."

"Zach can and will hurt her more than you ever would."

He nodded. "Fine, I'll tell her, but I feel like I need your permission to... you know..."

I laughed. "What? Deflower her? Take her virginity? Derek, you have my permission. I'm not against teenage sex. Otherwise, I'd be against myself."

"You're eighteen."

"Still a teenager, Derek."

He rolled his eyes, "Technically-"

"Technically, I think you should tell her now," I said, making a gesturing motion to the door. He scowled, then went inside.

I waited a few minutes, then said, "Neige, you can come out, now. I know you're in there."

My mate sighed before walking out of the bushes. I grinned at her, and pulled her into my arms.

"Do you think I handled that well?"

She simply smiled before pressing her lips to mine. I closed my eyes, and my lips parted against hers. My tongue slid into her mouth, and her arms tightened around my neck. I lifted her up, and her legs wrapped around my waist. She moaned when she felt what she was doing to me. I pulled back, and Neige leaned her forehead against mine.

"I don't think I can wait until next week," she said, out of breath. I laughed, and started walking deeper into the forest, pulling her along with me.

"Who said we had to wait?"

DPOV

I walked into the living room, only to find that son of a bitch talking to my Chloe.

"... think it's a good idea. Don't you?" he was saying. Chloe rolled her eyes.

"The answer is still no, Zach."

"You sure? Cause I can make you really happy. A lot happier than _Derek_ can."

Her eyes lit up, and my stomach started doing little flips. "You wanna make me happy?"

"Yes."

"You wanna make me _really_ happy?"

Zach nodded eagerly, and I could smell his arousal. "Yes!"

"You wanna give me extreme pleasure?"

"YES!"

_No..._

"Then leave."

I froze, then a smile worked its way to my face. Zach, growled and stomped out of the room. Chloe turned around and smiled at me. My heart skipped a beat.

"You saw that, I take it?"

"Yeah."

"Did I scare you?"

"A bit."

She laughed, and made her way over to me. I closed my eyes as her lips pressed against mine. The kiss didn't last long, though. Lauren walked into the room and glared at us. Chloe bared her teeth- yes, _bared her teeth_-, and her aunt winced before walking out of the room.

"What was that all about?" I asked. Chloe shrugged.

"I don't like how she treats you," she replied. I sighed.

"Did you really stand up for me and call her a bitch?"

She snickered. "Yeah. But she deserved it."

Tori stalked into the room, eying us suspiciously before walking into the kitchen. She called for Chloe, who kissed my cheek before asking what she wanted. I heard the words, "mall" and "lace". I stopped listening. After about five minutes of arguing, Chloe walked out of the kitchen, looking happy.

"What's up?" I asked her. She smiled.

"I just got out of a shopping trip."

I laughed, and pressed my lips against hers. She wound her hands onto my hair, rubbing my scalp. My arms locked around her, lifting her up, then pressing her against the wall. Chloe ran her tongue across my bottom lip, and I permitted entrance. Our tongues mingled together, making us breathless. When we broke part for air, I leaned my forehead against hers.

"I need to talk to you about something," I muttered. Fear flashed through her denim-blue eyes, but she nodded nonetheless. I took her hand and led her up to my room, shutting the door once we were inside.

Chloe looked up at me with her big blue eyes, and I cleared my throat.

_This is gonna be so hard!_

Chloe's POV

I looked up at Derek, who shifted uncomfortably. He looked around, avoiding my gaze, before swallowing.

"So, uh, Red talked to you about werewolves?"

I nodded, wondering how this pertained to what he was going to tell me. Unless-

"And he told you about mates?"

I nodded again, secretly hoping that I was his mate, but knowing that it was close to impossible. _I may love Derek, but I really don't think he loves me back. I mean, he's not the kind of guy to make out with a girl, then run, but..._

"And, Chloe, a werewolf needs to be with his mate."

"Yeah?"

He took a deep breath, then slowly released it. "You're my mate, Chloe Saunders."

It took me a second for the words to sink in, and when they did, I looked into his eyes. They had this gleam in them; it was something I had never been able to identify. Until now.

I tackled him onto the bed, cutting off his surprised yelp with a kiss. He automatically kissed me back, his lips parting against mine- soft and gentle, but rough and desperate at the same time. I liked this kiss. It made me feel like I was the air he needed to breathe.

When Derek and I started dating, I felt a mix of different things- beautiful, strong, confident, important- nothing I had ever felt before. But that was nothing- _nothing_- compared to how good I felt about myself now.

My hands tangled themselves into his hair, rubbing his scalp, and he pressed his tongue against my teeth. I let him in, and our tongues wrestled for dominance. We had done this so many times, but the intensity of it now was almost overbearing. Almost. It felt so damned good to be in his arms, and it left me breathless.

Derek broke the kiss suddenly, gasping for breath. He released his grip on me, eyes still closed.

"Sorry. I didn't know how much longer I could have controlled myself," he whispered.

I pressed my forehead against his chest, sighing. "I love you, Derek." It felt like such a relief to finally get those words off of my chest. Derek wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close.

"I love you, too," he whispered, kissing the top of my head. The way he said it- how he sounded like he was afraid of admitting it, the words rolling awkwardly off of his tongue in a somewhat eased tone- told me that he meant it. My eyes closed, and I locked my arms around his waist, pressing myself into him. He let out a deep, shuddering sigh, then ran a hand through my hair. I smiled.

Red's POV

Neige and I walked out of the forest, sated and happy. Zach was waiting for us by the door with a disgusted look on his face. I cocked an eyebrow at him.

"What're you doing out here?" I didn't feel like fighting him- I was in too good of a mood.

"Waiting for you guys to get back."

I frowned at that, and Neige and I exchanged glances. "Why?"

He sighed. "I don't know, Williamson. It was either this or listen to Derek confess his undying love for Chloe."

I frowned. "You mean, he told her?"

"You have ears, dumbass. Listen."

Neige narrowed her eyes at him, frost forming on her fingertips, and he took a step back. I grabbed my mate's hand, silently warning her to stay with me, and listened.

"...love you, Derek," Chloe was saying. I smiled at the relief in her words and waited for Derek's answer.

"I love you, too." His voice sounded shaky and scared, but honest. He really meant it- he loved her.

I grinned at Zach. "I guess you don't have any more girls to steal, eh?"

He snorted. "I don't care. It's obvious she doesn't like me. I was gonna back off, anyway."

Neige rose an eyebrow. "Sure. When were you going to give up? When she and Derek eloped, or when we buried your body?"

He cracked a small smile. "You're funny. You scare the shit out of me, but you're funny."

A growl bubbled up in my throat, but my mate put a hand on my chest to stop it. "So, do you have any family?" she asked the werewolf.

Zach shrugged. "No. Not really."

"What do you mean, 'not really'?"

"I mean, I don't want to talk about it."

She narrowed her eyes, then sighed. "Fine. Do you have anyone you can stay with at all?"

"Nope."

"Any packs you know of?"

"None that I would join."

"Friends?"

"Depends. Do people who fearfully respect you count?"

"No. Any litter-mates?"

He wrinkled his nose. "I don't have any."

"Your Serial Killer club?"

Zach laughed. "Didn't know they had one. Besides, I don't like killing things. It's a bitch to clean up afterwards."

I'm not saying that I hated him any less, but he kinda had a point. Not that I would kill anyone, but if I hunt little woodland creatures at all, and they put up a fight, then it can get kinda messy. Especially when a hunter tries to shoot at you because you're "stealing his prey". Even though you saw it first. I shivered involuntarily at the memory. Neige rubbed up and down my arm comfortingly.

I cleared my throat. "So, what you're saying is that we're stuck with you?"

"Unfortunately."

Well, that sucked ass.

My mate wrapped her arms around my waist, the usual way of her saying, 'I feel uncomfortable with what I'm about to ask'. She looked at Zach. "What's next week?"

He didn't skip a beat. "Mating Season."

Lauren walked out onto the porch, her nose slightly wrinkling in distaste when she saw me. "I need help with the dishes."

I looked at Zach. "Go for a run. I'll make sure Chloe doesn't chew you out for it."

He laughed darkly and took off into the woods, and Neige and I went inside to help Lauren.

Derek's POV

My head was resting on her chest, listening to the beat of her heart through her shirt and bra. Her hands were running through my hair, occasionally rubbing the scalp. My eyes were closed, focused only on how she made me feel.

"Derek," she whispered, breaking the silence. I looked up at her, reluctantly removing my head from her chest.

"What is it?"

"Does a werewolf's mate take on the traits of the werewolf?" Chloe asked.

I nodded. "It usually means that the mate is extremely attached to the werewolf, as well." I remembered what Red had told me, and added, "For you, I think it's natural. You have very strong maternal instincts, plus you're a werewolf's mate, which makes you-"

"Super-protective," she finished for me. "Like you are, Nightingale."

I chuckled, and grinned when her heart sped up.

_She's so turned on._

_Shush._

"So, um, now that I know I'm your mate, then does that mean we have to have sex?"

I cocked an eyebrow at her. "We don't _have_ to do anything, Chloe. You know that. We talked about it before."

She smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, but that was before I knew." She ran a finger up my arm, until it reached my shoulder, and then wrapped her arms around my neck, shifting so she was straddling me.

The Wolf yelped excitedly, and I tried to ignore the images that he flashed through my mind, most of which involved the two of us doing things that weren't exactly appropriate.

I grabbed her by the waist, and gently pushed her back. "Chloe. Don't do anything you're uncomfortable with."

She nodded, and crawled towards me on the bed. I backed up until my head hit the wall.

_What the hell are you doing? Our mate- OUR MATE- is trying to seduce you, and you back away like a scared puppy? What's wrong with you?_

Chloe smiled sexily at me, and I realized that she was, after all, fifteen years old, and her hormones could be driving her wild. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her against my chest.

"Listen, Chloe," I whispered against her hair, my voice deep and husky. "I want this more than anything, but I have to know if this is _you_ trying to seduce me, or if it's just teenage hormones."

She looked up at me, eyes filled with adoration. "I love you. And that's why I want this." Then she pressed her lips against mine.

"Don't do anything you'll regret," I warned, but it came out as a groan as her tongue brushed my bottom lip.

"Then don't stop," she whispered. I wound my hands into her hair, laying down, then pulling her with me. We kissed like we had never kissed before- it was hot and wet and desperate and loving and lustful all at the same time. It left the both of us breathless, so when we stopped kissing, I started to tug her shirt off.

"Wait," Chloe suddenly said. When I looked at her, she was blushing. "I just remembered... we don't have protection."

I smiled. "Well, I'm Claiming you, right?"

"Yeah..."

"Then we don't need it. When a werewolf is Claiming his mate, it's like automatic birth control."

She grinned, and I took off her shirt, kissing her stomach. She stripped me out of mine, then we curled up under the covers and took off our remaining clothes.

And finally, I was able to say something that I had wanted to say since I first found out that she was my mate.

Chloe Saunders was _mine_.

**Ooh-la-_la_! What did you think? So is this bad enough that I should change it to M? I don't really think it is, but I need another opinion.**

**Review!**

**-WiccaChick98**


	6. Mating Season

**Hi. Sorry I haven't updated in a while! I was at my aunt's house! (And, no, her name isn't Lauren, and she doesn't hate werewolves. But she did hate how Red Riding Hood ended. I thought it was rather sweet...)**

**Sorry if it's OOC.**

**I don't own Darkest Powers.**

**Same amount of sexual content in this one as the last one.**

**Mentions rape briefly and suicidal thoughts.**

Derek's POV

Chloe and I walked downstairs, hand in hand, freshly showered and dressed. She smiled up at me, then pulled me down for a kiss. To say I was happy would be an understatement. I was ecstatic.

She was officially my mate. _It_ had happened about three hours ago. When we were... finished, Chloe took a shower, then we slept for around an hour and a half, then I took a shower. That way, it wouldn't look like we had been showering together, though I kinda wanted to.

We walked into the kitchen, where Red and Neige were getting out ingredients for dinner.

_Sorry, but I've already eaten,_ the Wolf said with a fox-grin.

_Shut up._

Red looked over at us. "Baked chicken for..." He trailed off as his nostrils flared, and his eyes traveled from my wet hair to our entwined hands. I could tell that he was smelling her new, Claimed scent, and was trying to convince himself that that wasn't what it was. His eyes darkened, and I could see his conflicted feelings- happiness that his baby sister has someone who will protect her, or fury that someone dared to touch her.

Neige understood what was going on almost immediately, and waved a hand in front of his eyes. He blinked, returning to normal. Then he stared me down.

"Remember what I told you, Souza," he said warningly.

"I won't forget."

He nodded, then smiled. "Finally, my baby sister has someone who will protect her!"

I guess happiness had won over.

Chloe laughed, grabbing my arm and placing a delicate kiss on my bicep. I smiled, running a hand through her hair. Neige just shook her head at us with a smile.

"And now you two are on the Honeymoon Phase," she said in a dramatic voice. All of us cracked a smile.

"So, do you guys want any help?" my mate asked. Red eyed her.

"Honestly, with your cooking skills, I'd rather not..."

She laughed. "I'm a better cook now... ish."

"'Ish'?"

"I've learned a bit. I can follow a recipe, and I know about measuring cups!"

Neige cocked an eyebrow. "What's Guar Gum?"

"It's something you'd use in gluten-free meals and ice cream," Chloe responded almost instantly.

Neige clapped her hands, and Red rolled his eyes. "Alright. Derek? You wanna help, too?"

"Sure."

(15 minutes later)

Red put the chicken in and set the timer for an hour. Then he turned to us.

"What do you guys want to do? We have an hour."

Chloe shrugged, and Neige smirked.

"Let's just talk," the ice demon said. "But let's go up to Red's and my room. People might listen in."

We all walked upstairs, and Chloe and I exchanged looks.

"What do you think is so secret, that she doesn't want people to listen in?" she whispered.

"I don't know," I whispered back.

"Neither do I," Red added, making us jump. He laughed. "Werewolf. Remember?"

Neige smiled at us as if we were little kids. She even ruffled Red's hair, making him laugh again. Then she led us into their room and sat down on the bed.

"I think we should talk about Mating Season, since it's so close, and you two are officially bonded," she said once the door was shut.

Chloe's face reddened, and I think mine did, too.

Red sighed. "Neige, Babe, I don't think they're really comfortable with this. And frankly, neither am I."

She pouted. "Oh, come on. It's not like you haven't talked to your sister about sex before."

"But it's different."

"Not really."

Neige rolled her ice blue eyes and turned to Chloe and I. "You two are in for one helluva ride."  
>"Pardon?"<p>

"Huh?"

Red started to explain it a bit better. "What Neige means is that you two are... new to this whole mating thing. I mean, I'm assuming you two haven't had sex before a few hours ago, considering I didn't smell it on you. But you guys met in spring, right?"

"Yeah," Chloe and I replied in unison.

"Okay. That means you two haven't gone through Mating Season as a couple. Have you guys heard of first-time temptations?"

Chloe shook her head, and I felt my heartbeat start to increase from the idea of having this conversation with her in the room.

Red looked in the same state as I was. "...Okay. Um... First-time temptations are..."

"They're sex temptations you get when you first go through Mating Season with a mate," Neige said, interrupting him. "The temptations are higher when you've just recently officialized your relationship."

"Oh."

Red smirked. "Yeah, it sucks if you have an overprotective aunt."

I winced as the words sunk in. Granted, Chloe had stood up for me, but it didn't help much in the long run.

Neige elbowed Red. "Just make sure you use protection, alright? We don't want any pups running around just yet."

Chloe's face turned scarlet, probably matching mine.

The couple sitting across from us snickered. Then Red sobered up and looked at Neige, who nodded and turned to Chloe.

"Since you and Derek are mates, I think it's time we go tux shopping!" she sang, then grabbed Chloe's hand and dragged her out of the room.

Red Williamson turned to me, eyes dark and serious. I fidgeted nervously.

"So, you've Claimed my baby sister."

"Yeah..." I guess he was acting happy for Chloe, then was going to kill me when she wasn't around. I may be big, but Red's around an inch taller than me, has the same amount of muscle, and is an experienced werewolf- and has been for eight years. I didn't stand a chance against him.

He shot me a look. "Quit acting scared, Derek. I won't kill you." Then he added as an afterthought, "Yet."

I sighed. Would he always be threatening me like this?

"I just want Chloe to be happy and safe and protected. And I think I like you."

I looked up abruptly. "Huh?"

"You've been good to her. You protect her. You make her happy. I like you."

"...Okay..."

Red shook his head as if I were slow, dark red hair spilling over his eyes, reminding me of an older, darker version of this one kid who's famous for having a girly voice, or something. "I want to warn you about Mating Season. It lasts until Thanksgiving. And it really tempts you when you have a mate. Especially if she loves you as much as you love her, and you're a teenage boy."

The idea of obsessing over her body 24/7 for two whole months both scared and excited me at the same time.

"And you'll be thinking about pups. All the time. One little thing will remind you of pups. I remember last year, Neige and I were getting ice cream, and I took one look at the bowl, and my Wolf thought, "I bet our kids will _love_ ice cream." Then he supplied my brain with certain images. I nearly took her in the middle of the store."

I sent him a weird look. "Nice story."

"Thanks. Anyway, your Wolf will be thinking about pups, which, if you know anything about werewolf anatomy-"

"Increases the sperm count," I finished for him, wanting to make him think I actually knew something.

He nodded. "Yeah. So be warned, Souza. It won't be easy on you."

"Thanks."

Chloe's POV

(September 22 (Good luck, wolves!))

I walked downstairs to get some breakfast, and was automatically pulled into a bone-crushing hug. Lips caressed my hair, and hands ran up and down my body- from under my breasts to my hips then back up- repeatedly. I relaxed against Derek, questioning why he was being so affectionate, but enjoying his touch.

"Hey, my beautiful angel," he whispered. "How are you this morning? I love you so much."

"Uh, I love you too, and I'm fine. A bit confused, but fine."

"Mmm... What are you planning on doing, today? 'Cause I have a few ideas."

_Is he trying to... seduce me? This is so un-Derek-like!_

"Uh, Der, Babe? I'm kinda hungry. Can I eat breakfast before you drag me upstairs?"

"I'd like to eat, too."

Call me crazy, but I was certain that he wasn't talking about the pancakes I could smell from the kitchen.

"Derek."

He placed a heated kiss on my neck, making me shiver.

"Derek."

His hands rubbed my back, starting to pull my shirt up.

I pulled out of his grasp, grabbed his face in both hands, and looked him straight in the eye.

"Derek Souza!"

Derek jumped, eyes that had been glazed over with lust just seconds ago returning to normal. His face turned bright red, and he took a huge step back.

"I am so sorry!" he said, staring at me as if he was responsible for my murder. He wasn't, but if Aunt Lauren had walked in at that moment, it would've been _him_ he'd have to worry about.

I walked forward, arms wrapping around his neck, and leaned my forehead against his. "What's gotten into you?"

He sighed. "The Wolf."

"What's he got to do with anyth-" I stopped as I remembered last week, how Red had talked to us about Mating Season and first-time temptations. "Oh. Mating Season."

"Yeah."

I pressed my lips to his softly, earning a small growl of protest when I pulled back. I laughed, then kissed the corner of Derek's mouth in a compromise.

"I need to eat something. I'm starving."

His shoulders slumped, and he released me from his grasp. "Okay. You go eat, and I'll go do something else."

"Good idea. And after I'm done, how about we go for a walk?"

I could practically see the Wolf in his eyes, looking like a little puppy who just got told that his beloved mistress was returning from her long trip- with dog biscuits. With a smile at the previous thought, I kissed his jaw before going and getting some of those pancakes.

When I got into the kitchen, Red and Neige were watching me with amused smiles on their lips. I sighed.

"You guys heard that, I take it?" I questioned.

"Don't say we didn't warn you," Neige sang.

"Poor Souza," Red muttered.

I put two pancakes on a plate, drizzled them in syrup, then started eating, savoring every bite of the sweet, sugary carbs.

"Why do you wear such baggy clothing?" Red asked suddenly.

I looked up. "The better to hide in, my dear."

He smirked, catching on. "And, Chloe, why do you eat that much syrup?"

"The better to drown out the bad flavor of the pancakes, my dear," I joked. It was obvious that my brother had made them- there was the way he watched me while I ate, silently waiting for my approval.

Neige snickered, and Red fake-glowered at me.

Then he asked, "Chloe, why don't you sing anymore?"

I nearly dropped my fork. Then I said, "The better to avoid pain and humiliation, my dear."

He frowned at me. "You wouldn't be humiliating yourself, Darling."

I shook my head, carrying my now-pancake-free plate to the sink and washing it off before placing it into the dishwasher. "Red, I promised myself."

"That you wouldn't sing for anyone ever again? Chloe, there are some people you sing for in life, even if you're the worst singer in the world, which, believe me, you're not."

"Like...?"

"Your kids. Your husband. At church, when you sing those Bible songs."

"You know I'm more of an agnostic."

"Not the point, Chlo. There are a lot of people who sound like a dying walrus when they sing. You don't. You have a gift, and I think you should use it."

My eyes filled with tears at the compliment, but I blinked them back. "Red, I haven't sang in two whole years. How do you know my voice isn't horrible now?"

"Because I can see from the look in your eyes. You're an awesome singer, Darling. You and I both know it."

I sighed. "Why do you want me to sing all of a sudden?"

"Because I really like the sound of your voice. It's one of the best ones I've heard in my entire eighteen years of life." He rose his right hand. "I swear."

Neige and I both laughed at his cheesiness, and Aunt Lauren walked into the room. She gave me a smile, and then frowned at Red and Neige.

"Family meeting in ten," she said before walking off.

Simon walked into the room, muttering something about "bitch not leaving me alone". I rose an eyebrow as he let out a string of colorful profanities under his breath.

"Someone's in a pissy mood this morning," I said. "Did you take your insulin?"

He suddenly found a spot on the floor very interesting, and I handed him a banana.

"Eat, take your meds. Complain later."

Simon sent me a look. "Sure thing, _Mom_."

Derek walked into the kitchen upon hearing that, stared at me longingly, then turned to his brother.

"Listen to Chloe, Simon. Take your insulin."

He sighed, then took a bite of his banana. **(AN: Sorry for interrupting, but am I the only one ****who thought that sounded dirty?)** I smiled at him approvingly.

Derek walked up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me into his broad, muscled chest. "Can we go for a walk now?" he whispered into my ear. I shook my head.

"Sorry. There's a family meeting. Don't have time. Maybe after?"

He sighed, then rested his chin on top of my head. "Okay."

Red, Neige, Derek, and I walked into the living room, and Simon left to go take his insulin.

Neige and Red took the love-seat, sitting so close together that they were almost in each other's laps. Zach, who was currently sitting in the armchair, gave me a friendly smile. Derek growled. He then sat down on the chair across from him, pulling me onto his lap, pressing his face into my hair. Tori walked in and took a spot next to Aunt Lauren on the sofa, making sure to stay at least two inches away from her. Kit was sitting in the recliner, watching this all take place. His eyes fell upon Derek, whose face was still in my hair, muttering things that would've made me blush last month. Kit sent me a questioning look, and I shrugged.

Simon was the last to enter, and sat on the other side of Aunt Lauren. She cleared her throat, shooting daggers at Derek. If looks could kill, he would _so_ be dead right now.

"We've been living here for two months now," my aunt started, "and Kit and I discussed how the last time we stayed in a house for two months, Chloe was taken by the Cains because of Derek."

Derek pulled away from me, his expression not hurt, and not angry, but clearly upset.

"That is _not_ how it happened," I challenged. "Derek was taken. I followed him."

"But you were still gone because of him."

"Your point?"

Aunt Lauren opened her mouth to snap back, but Kit cut her off. "Anyway, we think it's time to move again. This house is getting too crowded, anyway."

We all nodded in unison.

"We're leaving tomorrow morning. I already have the house picked out, but it only has seven rooms."

Aunt Lauren smiled. "So we made up a compromise. Derek can sleep on the couch."

The man in question flinched.

"No, he can't," I protested. "He needs to be able to stretch out."

She frowned. "Fine, then."

Kit relaxed. "This wasn't our original compromise, by the-"

My aunt cut him off. "Derek can sleep on the floor. He's the mutt."

Red, Neige, Simon, and I all stood up to defend him, but I got the words out first.

"I think _you_ should sleep on the floor. You're the bitch," I growled, finally snapping.

There was a three-second silence that followed. Then it broke all at once.

Zach and Tori laughed. Red and Neige gaped at me, admiration in their eyes. Derek slunk back into the seat, hiding his face and the grin that was probably on it. Simon was staring at me, eyes bugged out. Kit was smiling to himself, muttering under his breath. And Aunt Lauren was glaring at the clock on the wall.

Kit managed to shut everyone up in around thirty seconds. "Okay. I am not about to let my son sleep on the floor. He can stay with Simon."

Simon looked up. "No, he can't."

"Why not?"

"Because he's a freaking furnace!"

Derek sighed, muttering a, "I love you, too, bro" under his breath. I sat down on his lap, cupping his face with my hands, then pressing my lips to his chastely.

"Feel better now?" I asked once we had pulled apart.

"You are too tempting, Chloe," he muttered sexily, pressing his face into my neck. We cuddled while Kit and Lauren argued about where Derek should stay. Simon and Tori were having a staring contest, Neige and Red were kissing, and Zach was leaning back in his chair, rubbing his temples and sighing.

"How about he and Chloe share the room?" he suddenly said, silencing everyone.

It was clear to me that my boyfriend liked the idea, if you know what I mean.

"Absolutely not!" Aunt Lauren yelled, making the werewolves wince. I rubbed Derek's ears for him. "I am not about to let some dumb dog-"

"HE IS NOT A DOG!" Kit, Simon, Red, Neige, Tori and I yelled in unison. Aunt Lauren winced.

"I don't care what he is. He's not staying with my niece."

"Aunt Lauren," I groaned. "Why can't you just accept the fact that Derek and I are together? Why won't you just let us be teenagers?"

"Because he'll rape you."

Derek tensed, pulled away from my neck, and sent Aunt Lauren one of his hardest scowls.

"I would never do something like that to Chloe," he growled out.

There was a stunned silence, and my aunt and Derek stared the other down until Aunt Lauren cracked first.

"Fine. But if I find out that you hurt her in any way, shape or form, I swear to god I will ki-"

"Meeting adjourned!" Kit said hastily. "You're free to go! Oh, and something to keep in mind, the house is already furnished!"

Derek's hand slid into mine, and he steered me towards the door. Red stopped us before we got outside.

"You two have protection, right?" he asked quietly. Derek nodded, patting his pocket. My brother nodded and opened the door for us. "Have fun."

My boyfriend and I walked through the woods together, hand in hand, until we came to our clearing in the middle of the woods. It was cute and tiny, with a den we could stay in if it was cold when he had to Change. But I had the strangest feeling the den was going to become multi-purpose today.

Derek led me into the den- it had a small opening, but then got bigger, so when you got to the end of it, the ceiling was at least ten feet tall. I could faintly see the entrance, but it was so far away, and my extremely sexy boyfriend was clouding my senses.

He leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine, pulling me against him. I tangled my hands in his hair, rubbing his scalp. Derek whimpered into my mouth, pressing me against the wall. My tongue rubbed his bottom lip, and he let me in with a small groan.

My boyfriend pulled back suddenly, eyes wild and wolfish. I leaned forward, arms reaching out to pull him close again and get lost in his eyes, but he backed off, shaking his head.

"I can't control myself if we go any farther," he whispered huskily. I stepped closer, and kissed his jaw.

"What's wrong with losing control every once in a while?" I asked.

"The fact that I'm a werewolf and it's Mating Season."

"So?"

"So if I lose control, I could hurt you."

I shook my head. "If I'm your mate, then your Wolf loves me, too. He wouldn't hurt me on purpose."

Derek closed his eyes, rubbing his temples. I was clearly hurting his brain by proving that he was wrong. "You're right. I should trust him better."

"You should," I whispered, stroking the side of his face.

He took a deep breath, then slowly let it out. Then, he leaned in. His lips just hovered over mine, and he pulled back when I tried to capture said lips.

"That was so freaking hot, Chlo," he whispered.

"Proving you wrong?"

"No, Baby. Standing up to your aunt. God, I wanted to Claim you all over again on the chair, showing everyone that you were mine and mine alone." The last part came out as a growl, and his lips crashed against mine, arms lowering me to the ground, hands reaching up under my shirt and rubbing my stomach. I pulled his shirt off, then his pants. I pulled the protection out of his pocket as he stripped me out of my clothes. I shoved the package into his hands, and he grinned, kissed me, then we curled up together, getting lost in ourselves.

Red's POV

I watched as Derek and Chloe disappeared into the woods, hand in hand. It kind of hurt to think that my sister had a mate, but I was also happy for her. She had someone who would look after her.

"Hey," Neige said, snapping me out of my thoughts. "You okay?"

I stared into her eyes and smiled. "Yeah. So, Derek and Chloe are occupied."

"And Simon and Tori are arguing."

"Lauren and Kit are getting groceries."

"And where's Zach?" she asked.

"Right here," said a voice. We looked up as Zach stepped into the room, raising his eyebrows at us. I looked down, and realized that my mate was pressed against my chest. Not the first time, though.

"What're you planning on doing?" I asked him. He shrugged.

"I dunno. But I have a feeling I can't hang with you guys."

"Why?"

He smiled almost evilly. "Call me crazy, but I have a feeling that you two will be a little... busy, if you know what I mean."

I rolled my eyes, but the Wolf perked up and started pacing around, getting antsy.

"I think I'll watch TV. The Friday Night Game is on." And with that, Zach walked off, muttering something about "how unfair it is that it's Mating Season, and all the good chicks are taken".

I turned to kiss my mate, but found that she was already halfway up the stairs. The Wolf grinned like a fox, muttering something about pups and how we shouldn't use protection this time, like he did every year. I shook my head, and chased after Neige.

~no lemons- it's rated T!~

We walked downstairs around an hour later. My mate and I both would've rather stayed up there, in our bedroom, curled into each other's arms, whispering to each other about how much we loved them, but she and I both knew that we'd get into some serious trouble if anyone walked in on us. So we got up.

Tori was in the living room, looking up stuff on her laptop, _aww_-ing every once in a while. Chloe was reading the Manuscript. Zach was watching the game and looking around anxiously, as if waiting for someone. But in reality, he was just upset that he didn't have a mate to have fun with, and was looking for an excuse to leave the room that had two good-looking girls in it along with him.

"Hey, Zach," I said, giving him a chance to escape. "You look anxious. Why don't you take a run, cool off a bit?"

He nodded, eyes grateful.

_He's not such a bad guy, when you get to know him,_ I thought.

Neige muttered something about going into the kitchen to get something sweet, and smacked me playfully when I asked if I had been enough. She walked out of the room, smiling at me with an adoring look in her eyes.

Tori suddenly gasped, and Chloe and I looked over at her. She had a look of pure feminine bliss on her face.

"_Awwwwwwww_!" she gasped. "That is _so_ cute!"

"What is it?" my sister asked.

"It's a husky puppy! And it is so adorable!"

I watched as Chloe got up and looked at the laptop. She laughed.

"Tori, that's a wolf pup."

The witch gasped. "No, it isn't! It's a husky!"

"No, look at the muzzle. See how it's wider? And look at the frame. It's more muscular."

"Oh."

Then my sister got this "it's cute!" look on her face and said, "It _is_ pretty adorable, though. Wolf or husky."

Derek walked downstairs as Chloe and Tori cooed over the picture. He offered me a small smile, and started to head towards the kitchen.

What Tori said made him stop dead in his tracks.

"If you and Derek have kids, I totally expect them to be as cute as this."

His eyes got wild, and I could see the Wolf taunting him. But he shook his head and kept walking.

"Damn Mating Season," he growled.

"It'll get better," I told him. He grunted, then walked into the kitchen to get a snack.

~The next day (they've just gotten settled in)~

I walked around, waiting for Neige to finish unpacking. Zach was walking with me, looking kind of scared, but more annoyed.

"You'll find someone," I told him for the fiftieth time.

"Yeah. Sure." He didn't sound convinced.

"Honest. Just don't act like you'll use them for sex and sex only, and you'll find someone."

He sighed. "Fine. I'll find a mate. But I'm still tempted. I mean, not to sound like a perv or anything, but your sister's hot."

I growled, and he threw up his hands in surrender. "Sorry! Sorry! I'm just saying! She's just so... unlike anyone else." His voice took on a softer tone. "She's lived such a hard life. Her mom died, her dad ignores her. Her aunt hates her boyfriend's guts. You'd think all of it would make her bitter, but she's really so... Happy."

My shoulders relaxed when I heard the gentleness when he talked; it was the kind that you could never fake, no matter how hard you try, no matter how good of a liar you are.

"Derek's been good to her," I said. Zach nodded.

"I'm glad she's happy with him."

My respect for him grew just a little bit more. There was genuine honest truth in the way he said it. He truly cared for her. Enough that he could let her go if it meant that she'd be happy.

"Me, too, Zachary."

~Later~

I walked into the study for the first time, and my jaw nearly dropped to the floor.

"Holy mother of..."

There, sitting in the middle of the room, was a grand piano. You know, the kind of thing you see in the mansions at the rich people's houses in the movies? The kind that Chloe had always wanted?

I grinned. She had no excuse. She had to play for us.

"Chloe!" I cried, and ran to look for her.

I didn't have to run very far. She was reading again, Derek laying down next to her, his head in her lap. She was rubbing his scalp with one hand, holding the book up with the other. It was a heartwarming moment, but it would have to wait. What I had to show her was so much more important.

"Chloe!" I cried again. She looked up, and Derek sat upright.

"What's wrong?" she asked, blue eyes wide.

"Come on! I found something!"

Then I took off, knowing she'd follow me.

I stopped when I got to the study, and Chloe skidded to a halt. Her eyes settled on the piano.

"Oh, wow..." she whispered. I grinned.

"Go on, and try it out."

She shook her head. "I don't think I can, Red..."

"Yes, you can, Darling. You can. Do it!"

She sighed, then walked up to the piano and sat down. I watched as she tuned it carefully with timid fingers, as if she was scared she'd make it shatter.

Neige walked up behind me, then wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed my head.

"What's up?" she asked softly.

"Chloe's gonna play," I whispered back. Neige grinned, then ran off.

I rolled my eyes, then turned to watch as she started to play random notes until they blended together to make a song. I closed my eyes and leaned against the doorway, just listening to her play.

She had improved massively since the last time I'd heard her play. It was amazing then, so now... She's as good a piano player as Amy Lee, but not better. (Not to be offensive; _no one's_ better than Amy Lee).

I moved to the couch and sat down, leaning forward, watching her play. Her fingers barely touched the keys- only enough to push it down, then back up and over to the next one.

Neige walked into the room with Tori and Lauren, and Zach followed behind, hands in his pockets, like he was trying to act like he wasn't here to listen to her play, just because everyone else was (which they weren't). But I could see through his act.

My mate sat beside me, then Tori, then Lauren. Zach leaned against the wall across the room. I smiled, then went back to listening to her.

Derek, Kit, and Simon entered the room, Simon chattering. Until Kit elbowed him in the gut, that is. Then he shut up and gaped at Chloe, who looked like she belonged on that stool. Derek watched her with unhidden love in his eyes, and Zach glanced at him, then at Chloe with a sad look in his eyes. If she could only see the mixed emotions she was causing, but her eyes were closed in concentration.

Lauren and Tori had tears running down both of their faces. Kit was watching in awe. Simon had his head cocked slightly to the side. Neige looked like she was about to break down in tears. Derek and Zach were both staring at her like she was the most beautiful creature on the face of the earth. I shook my head with a grin.

After what seemed like a few minutes, but in actuality was probably around fifty, the notes formed a song I knew too well. A song that required words. Neige and I leaned foward expectantly.

"_Under your spell again_," she sang, voice soft and melodic. "_I can't say no to you._"

Everyone's eyes nearly popped out of their heads at the sound of her voice. Even mine. Darling had gotten better, which I thought was impossible. I leaned back in my seat with a smile. Neige gave up on trying not to cry, and let the tears fall. She rested against me, stroking my chest.

We all listened in silence, and I could've sworn I saw a few tears leak from Zach's eyes.

"_So take care what you ask of me, cause I can't say no..._" she finished.

Then, all of a sudden, Zach shook his head.

"Chloe, I can't believe you told yourself that you'd never sing again."

She smiled, taking the compliment with a nod. Derek got up and kissed her cheek, whispering a soft, "You were amazing."

Lauren looked like she was about to explode, but, luckily for us, Simon and Tori decided to run off, telling us that they were going to finish unpacking, which distracted her. She, Kit, and Neige left the room to prevent bloodshed.

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Well, after that, I think I'm going to go and finish what I was reading." With that, she walked off as if she hadn't made all of the girls cry from her music, plus Zach.

"I'll never understand how she does it," Zach muttered.

Derek glared at him, then walked out after Chloe.

I turned to him. "Zach, I know you love her."

"What're you talking about? I don't-"

"Yes, you do. Don't fight it. But she's-"

"Derek's mate. I got that," he said bitterly. "Knew that from the second I saw her. A girl like that is bound to have a boyfriend."

"So why did you fall for her?"

"I don't know. I saw the way she was with Souza, and... wanted that, I guess. And the way she stands up for him... No one has ever done that for me before. And I thought if I-" His stopped mid-sentence. "Wait a second. Why in the hell am I telling you about this?"

Then he ran off.

Zach's POV

Why did I have to tell Williamson? He'll kick me out for sure, now that he knows. But I can't help the way I feel.

I saw her, and wanted it. I'd never really wanted anyone that badly before. I used to just use girls then toss them out.

But the way she stood up for Souza. I saw it, and wanted it. Wanted it more than anything I've ever wanted.

But I'm such a monster. I've raped girls. I used to cut myself. I'm an evil incarnate, according to everyone. So why would she care about me?

I closed my eyes and sighed, sinking to the floor of my room. I was an unwanted puppy. A Christmas present you got from your worst enemy, and they didn't care enough to get anything the person liked. I was an unwanted child. A regret. Hated by the one who birthed me.

"Hannah, why didn't you just get rid of me? Abortion is so easy," I said to the floor. "Why did you have to keep me, then neglect me? It'd be easier if I were dead."

The damned werewolf. Cursed me. Made me. Unwillingly. On both Hannah's and my part.

Two years ago, I tried to kill myself by filling the bathtub with kerosene from the garage and lighting it on fire. She didn't care. Just called the fire department and hit me when I jumped out, because I was too chicken to follow through with the suicide.

"Hannah, why didn't you push me into the bathtub instead of sending me to bed?" I whispered.

Hannah kicked me out last year. And I found out who my father was.

Some idiot named Zachary Cain. Made me wonder if it was just a coincidence, or not (my first name is Zachary, if you didn't know).

Anyway, I didn't bother to go to him. I didn't care. I was fine on my own. I knew first aid, I could hunt with a bow and arrow, and I knew how to have fun. It was sick fun, but it was fun.

So I got by. Until I started Changing. But it was also another advantage. Easier to hunt.

After that, I got hit by a car. And Lauren found me and brought me here.

I hated her for it. If she hadn't brought me here, then I'd be dead. Who's to say that I didn't jump in front of the car on purpose? I hurt people. Raped innocent girls. I didn't deserve to live, and I didn't want to.

But Chloe made it all worthwhile. I don't care if she's with Derek. She's my friend.

I just hope I can find someone else like her.

**What did you think? And what about Zach? Do you guys now understand why he's the way he is?**

**Here are some challenges for you guys!**

**1: Name the song that Chloe sang. First to answer correctly gets a virtual cookie, and will be in my next disclaimer!**

**2: Zach said who his father is. I want someone to tell me how it pertains to someone (other than Zach) in the group. (P.S. I already know what it is.)**

**-WiccaChick98**


	7. Family Problems

**Hello. Again. My laptop was being screwy and wouldn't connect to the internet! Ahh!**

**Disclaimer: Okay, so a lot of you got it right, but HoaLotsAtla got it right first! It was Good Enough by Evanescence!**

**Scene: HoaLotsAtla and I are eating lunch.**

**Me: What're you eating?**

**HoaLotsAtla: A ham sandwich.**

**Me: Really? Me, too! We are so much alike!**

**HoaLotsAtla: Yeah, especially in the sense that we both don't own Darkest Powers.**

**Me (sad): Yeah...**

**HoaLotsAtla and Me: (Looking into the distance, dreaming of what it would be like to own Darkest Powers)**

**Me: Sigh**

**HoaLotsAtla: Sigh**

**Apology: Sorry if it's OOC. Chloe will be, kinda-sorta-more-or-less.**

Chloe's POV

I woke up to hear my aunt arguing with Kit. I crept out of bed and listened in.

"She deserves to be with her father, Kit!" she was saying. "He hasn't seen her since last spring!"

"I know that, but it's safer for the both of them if-"

"If what? She stays here with three teenage werewolves? Call me crazy, but I think she'd be a whole lot safer if the Cabal caught her!"

"What are you saying?"

"I'm _saying_ that she's living with three monsters!"

"And you do realize that one of those 'monsters' is my son? And another one is her brother?" Kit snapped.

"So? It doesn't change that they're-"

"That they're what?" I asked, walking into the room. "Werewolves? Is that what this is about? You don't like that I'm in love with a werewolf."

She frowned at me. "You're not in love with him, Chloe. This is the first boyfriend you've had. Plus you're a teenager. I'm sure you like him a lot, but-"

"Since when were you able to decide how I feel?" I demanded. "And how would you know whether or not I love him? You've never even been in love."

Kit's jaw dropped. Aunt Lauren just stared at me.

"What?" I asked, innocent as a newborn babe.

"Chloe," my aunt said with a voice that held barely-controlled rage. "Go to bed. Now. We will discuss this in the morning."

I don't know why, but I felt tired of listening to her, following her every command like I was her minion. She had no control over me. Not anymore.

"There isn't anything to discuss," I said evenly. "I'm staying here. With Red, with Neige, with Tori, and with Derek."

She glared at me through dark, hatred-filled eyes. I glared back, and Kit cleared his throat.

"Even if there isn't anything to discuss, I think we should all go to bed. It's been a long day."

I nodded, then glared at Lauren. She didn't deserve the title of 'Aunt' anymore.

Then I went back to my room. Derek lay sleeping in our bed. How he stayed asleep, I'll never know, with his super-hearing and all. I curled up next to him and kissed him on the cheek.

"Goodnight, Derek," I whispered. "I love you."

~The Next Morning~

I went downstairs, and got out the ingredients for French Toast. I decided that I was going to cook breakfast today. Why, I didn't know. Maybe so I could add rat poisoning in Lauren's toast.

I mixed the stuff together, then dipped the bread in it. Neige walked downstairs, totally rocking the bed-head.

"Hey," she said. "Need a hand?"

"Sure, thanks."

So we worked on breakfast together, talking about random things, like what we saw on TV, or the funniest thing that happened on America's Funniest Home Videos, or how annoying our boyfriends were at times (but we loved them, anyway). When the French Toast was done, we sat at the table, eating.

"I heard you and Lauren arguing last night," Neige said suddenly. "Is everything alright?"

I sighed. "I just set her straight for calling Zach, Red, and Derek monsters."

She frowned. "Well, that must suck. The only family you've- knowingly- had all of your life going and saying that."

I shook my head. "If she's going to say something like that, then I don't consider her family, anyway."

"I'm sorry that had to happen to you," a voice said. We both turned to see Zach standing in the doorway, hazel eyes brimming with sympathy.

Things had cooled off between the two of us quite a bit. He had realized that I loved Derek, and that I was with him, and accepted it. He decided that he wanted to get to know me better, and we became friends. Derek doesn't like me hanging with Zach, but I didn't really care. I remembered, from Lyle House, that Derek and I couldn't stand to be in the same room, let alone talk. We hated each other. That's how Zach and I started out, more or less.

"It's fine," I replied. "There's French Toast on the stove, if you're hungry."

His stomach growled, earning a small laugh from both Neige and I. Of course he was hungry. He walked over to the stove, took ten pieces of toast, grabbed the syrup, then chowed down. He was done in five minutes.

"That was good," he said. We laughed, then thanked him.

Red walked into the kitchen, kissed his mate hello, then grabbed a plate. He took more than Zach.

"Thank god we made so much," Neige muttered under her breath, and we all cracked a smile.

"What're are all of you doing up so early, anyway?" my brother asked, eying Zach as if the two of them were sharing a secret.

"Just woke up," he said, almost defensively. Red scowled, but nodded.

Derek came in next, looking like he had a full night's sleep.

"Hey," I greeted. "Sleep well?"

"Like a rock."

I nodded, and Neige's eyes widened. She got it; Derek didn't hear the argument, so if Lauren decided to take me against my will, he'd be more surprised than any of us.

_Well, shit._

Ten minutes later, Derek was holding me in his lap, running a hand through my hair. Zach was staring at the wall as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. Neige and Red were leaning against each other, occasionally kissing.

Lauren walked down the steps, and Neige and I stiffened.

"What is it?" all of the werewolves asked in unison. It would've been comical, if I wasn't so worried that my aunt would kill them all.

She stalked into the kitchen, looking like she was the most important person in the world. I wrinkled my nose slightly.

"Chloe," she said in a somewhat snotty tone, "I've called your father."

There was a stunned silence- during which Derek had put a death grip on my waist, Zach stared at me like I was dying and he couldn't help, and Red's eyes were nearly bugging out. Then I said, "You told my dad on me?"

It wasn't really meant to be a joke, but Neige cracked a smile.

Lauren blanched. "No, I just told him that you were okay. And that you were coming home tomorrow."

I have no idea how I stayed so calm when everyone else was obviously freaking out. Tori, who had just walked in, looked like she was about to faint. Derek was in a state of shock. Red looked like he was going to be sick. Neige was pale- paler than she usually is, which is saying something. And Zach... he found a spot on the floor very interesting, but I'll bet you a million dollars that if he looked up, he would have puppy-dog eyes.

Kit walked into the room, saw the look on everyone's faces, and rose an eyebrow at me. I was probably the most normal-looking one here, considering how Lauren looked like a maniac- complete with scary grin.

I pointed an accusatory finger at her and said, "She told my dad on me."

"I did _not_."

Kit looked scared for about three seconds, then slowly turned to Lauren. "You called Chloe's father?"

"Yes."

"And you told him she was okay?"

"Yes."

"And," I added, "she told him that I was going to go home to him tomorrow."

Kit glared at Lauren, and I hopped off of Derek's lap. A small whimper escaped his lips before he could stop it, and his face turned scarlet. I kissed him chastely.

"I'll be back," I told him before going up to my room. I fished my cellphone out of my nightstand drawer, then did something I hadn't done since last winter.

I dialed my dad's phone number.

He answered on the third ring.

"Hello?" His voice sounded groggy, as if he had just been woken up.

I took a deep breath. "Hi, Dad."

There was a long silence before he finally said, "Chloe? Is that really... you?"

"Yeah, it's me."

He gasped. "Chloe! Oh my god, I'm so glad you're okay! Lauren called, but I didn't really believe her! To think all this time you were with her, being held hostage by werewolves! How in the world did you get away?"

His words made me freeze. That bitch. "Um, Dad, my aunt mislead you... We're not being held hostage by werewolves, we're just living with them."

"Okay... Who all are you with, anyway?"

"Um, let's see... There's Lauren; Tori, who is a witch; Simon, who is a sorcerer as well as Tori's half-brother; Kit, who is a sorcerer and Simon's and Tori's dad; Derek, who is my werewolf boyfriend; Zach, who is a werewolf and a friend of mine." I took a deep breath, preparing for what I was about to tell him. "Then there's Red, your insemination son-"

"My _what_?"

"Remember when you _donated_ to the hospital?"

I could see his eyes widening and face reddening, even though we were close to a thousand miles apart.

"Oh."

"Yeah. That's Red. He's a werewolf, too. Then there's his girlfriend, Neige. She's an ice-demon."

He sucked in a breath. "A lot of people."

"Safety comes in numbers."

A laugh. "Yeah. I'm just glad that you're safe."

"Me, too."

"And, Chloe, I'm really sorry."

"For what?" I asked.

"I had no idea you were a necromancer. If I had only known, then I never would have sent you to the home. I'm so sorry."

"It's fine, Dad. Besides, if you hadn't sent me there, I never would've met Derek."

Another laugh. "True. So, when are you coming home?"

I felt an icicle stab me in the chest (not literally, of course!), and a tear rolled down my cheek. "Dad, I can't come home."

There was a painful silence on the other end of the line. Then he said, "Oh," and it sounded like he was about to cry.

"Dad, I'm sorry. I would love to come home, but I can't. I can't put you in danger like that."

"Danger? Lauren said that you were safe!"

"Well, I'm not. I'm on the run from a Cabal."

"With everyone else in your group?"

"Yeah."

"And are the werewolves keeping you safe?"

It was a strange question, and it made me wonder if he'd known something all along. I mean, my mom was great at hiding things, but Dad's not stupid. He could've found something Mom had left me that gave him a clue (I had yet to find that). Or maybe he questioned the Lyle House people, and found something out.

I answered, "They're protecting me with their lives."

"Good. That's all I can ask for. And when this is all over, I want to meet this Derek guy. Make sure he's okay for my little girl."

I felt myself smile at the age-old 'boyfriend-vs.-dad' propaganda. "I'll make sure you get to meet him. He's awesome."

"So is this goodbye?"

"For now," I said, sitting on my bed and stoking my pillow. "But I'm sure we'll get to see each other again. I love you, Dad."

"Love you, too, Chloe. Goodbye."

"Goodbye."

I was just about to hang up when he said, "You're so much like your mother, Chloe. Strong, smart, kind. I love you both so much."

I closed the phone, as if I hadn't heard that.

Finally, after nine months, I get to talk to my dad. But it's because my aunt decided to go super-bitch and betray me. I have to tell him that I can't come home. And then he says that I'm just like my mom.

Flopping back onto my bed, I sighed. There was a knock on the door.

"It's open," I called.

Zach walked in, shutting the door behind him. I sat up.

"Hey. What's up?"

He shrugged. "You seemed... you know... hurt. And I was wondering if you're okay?"

"I'm fine Zach. But something seems to be bothering you. Something the matter?"

He nodded slowly, then sat down on my bed. He put his face in his hands with a sigh. "I can trust you, right?"

"Of course."

Zach opened his eyes and looked up at me. "I'm just... jealous of Derek."

Was he trying to get me again? I thought I told him that I was in love with Derek and no one else!

He must've seen something in my expression, because he added, "He has a family. A mate. A father. A brother. And what do I have?"

"Friends," I offered. He sighed.

"You. You're the only friend I've had, Chloe. No one else took time to get to know me."

"Why not? It's not like you're ugly, or anything."

He laughed humorlessly. "I was a strange kid, Chloe. I probably looked like I had just gotten back from a funeral every single day."

I knew that he hadn't had a good childhood- none of the werewolves living under this roof did. I knew Red's and Derek's life stories. But not Zach's.

"Why were you so miserable as a child, Zachary?" I asked. He flinched, then sighed.

"Promise you won't tell anyone, Chloe."

"I promise."

He nodded, eyes downcast. "I was rape-baby."

I gasped. "You poor thing!"

"My own mother didn't want me. She would've gotten an abortion, but she knew that he was a werewolf, and would take me. He never showed up. And she didn't care enough to give me up for adoption, so she... let me stay with her."

"'_Let you stay with her_'?"

"Yeah. She treated me like a monster. I can't say I blame her, though. It's definitely what I am."

I hadn't seen this side of Zachary yet. I'd always seen him as the tough guy who broke someone's arm if they crossed his path. But now, he was practically wallowing in self-pity.

"No, you aren't, Zach."

"Yes I am." He looked up at me, and his hazel eyes were dark with sadness and anger. "Chloe, you don't know what I've done. You don't know how many girls I've raped, beat, then left for dead. Just for fun."

I blinked. Honestly, I didn't know that he did that, but from his childhood, I wasn't exactly surprised.

He glared at me. "Did you hear me, Chloe? I've _raped innocent girls_."

"I heard you," I replied evenly.

"Why aren't you running, then?"

Why wasn't I running? Zach looked like he could easily snap my neck. With his muscular build, chiseled features, plus the scowl plastered to his face at the moment, should've sent me running for the hills. So why wasn't I?

My eyes traveled over the werewolf who was sitting on my bed. My eyes met his, and I found the answer to my question.

His eyes. They were so heart-wrenchingly sorrowful and filled with regret; he truly felt bad for what he had done. He looked like a lost puppy out in the rain, cold and alone, scared to ask for help because he didn't want to hurt anyone. Zach was still human. And he was still my friend, regardless of what he had done.

"You don't like what you did," I said seriously.

"It doesn't change what I did, Chloe."

"No, it doesn't. But you should just put this behind you. Forget it."

Zach curled his teeth back and growled at me. "How in the hell am I supposed to forget doing that?"

I sighed. "Just move on. Find someone that you don't have to rape, then stay with them."

He closed his eyes. "And until then?"

"Stay with us and _quit brooding_. It'll make you feel better if you smile more often."

"So I can trust you?"

"Of course, Zach."

Zach closed his eyes and lay back against the pillows. "Promise me you won't freak out. I just need to say it."

"Okay..."

"I know who my father is."  
>"Who is it?"<p>

He sat up and grabbed my face in his hands, thumb rubbing my cheek. He whispered, "Zachary Cain."

My breath caught, and my chest seized up. "_The_ Zachary Cain?"

"Yeah. Why?"

I shook my head. "I can't tell you, not yet. I need to see something real quick." I ran from the room and into the study. I ignored the piano, and jumped right behind the desk. I searched all of the drawers until I found it. The picture was faded, but I could definitely see the resemblance.

Due to certain circumstances, Tori helped us get profiles and pictures of every werewolf in a major pack in the USA. It felt like a slap in the face to have not seen it sooner.

I was staring at the face of Zachary Cain, who had light brown hair and green eyes. Young Zach had darker hair and hazel eyes, but the body type and the facial features both were right on. Zach had a different face shape- his head was more oval and round than square.

Zachary Cain wasn't just Zach's father.

He was also Derek's.

Red's POV

I looked around the house for Chloe, and found her in the study, staring at a photo, looking like she was about to be sick.

"Darling, what's wrong?" I asked. She jumped, still skittish as a kitten- even after living with three werewolves for three months. I walked over to her and pulled the picture from her hands.

"I found something," she said simply.

"You have?" I asked. "What is it? And who is this?"

"Zachary Cain."  
>"Ah, Derek's father. Shoulda known."<p>

Her eyes closed slowly, as if she were falling asleep. It's what she does when she know something she's scared to admit. "He's not just Derek's father," my sister whispered.

"Of course not, Chlo. He probably had a lot of pups."

She sighed softly. "Rape-pups?"

I stiffened. "Sure. Probably a lot of cute girls during Mating Season, the pack wanted new pups, and he was getting frisky. It's not something I'd approve, but it happens."

She nodded, as if she had known already. "Yeah. Zach."

"Zach, Chloe?" Why did I have a feeling I knew what she was trying to say?

"Zach is a rape-baby."

I closed my eyes. Poor, poor Zach. He may be an ass, but now I can see why. "Does he know who his father is?"

She nodded, head down, then handed me the picture of Zachary Cain. I looked at it, and I didn't see Zachary Cain. I saw young Zach. _Our_ Zach.

"He's-he's-"

"Yeah," Chloe said gently.

"So that means... Oh, god."

"Yeah."

"Derek and Zach..."

"Are half-brothers," she finished for me. To say I was shocked would be an understatement. I shook my head and sank to the floor. This was bad. Very very bad. Horribly, terribly bad.

"Dear holy mother of-"

"I know."

Derek hated Zach more than he hated Lauren. Probably around fifty times more. How were we going to tell him? _"Hey, Derek, we just found out that Zach's your half-brother! I think you should just let go of the past and hug and make up!"_

Quiet footsteps echoed down the hall. Werewolf footsteps.

I looked up as Derek walked into the room and pulled my little sister into a soft kiss.

"Hey, Angel," he whispered to her, lips a centimeter from hers. Chloe threw her arms around his neck and kissed him roughly.

I understood perfectly what she was trying to do. She was trying to procrastinate, put off telling him.

"I love you," she whispered, lacing her fingers through his hair. He stared at her with his lust-glazed eyes, and she pulled him closer and started peppering his face with kisses. He ran a hand up and down her back, eyes staring off somewhere else. When they finally started to focus, they settled on the picture we had stupidly left on the desk.

"What's a picture of _him_ doing sitting on the desk?" he asked, starting to pull back.

The look on her face showed that she didn't expect that. But she quickly got over it and kissed his shoulder, then bit softly at his neck. "Later," she said huskily.

His eyes closed for a fraction of a second, then opened. He placed his hands gently on her shoulders, then pushed her back.

"No," Derek muttered, voice still husky. He cleared his throat. "No. Sex can wait. I know something's up. Tell me."

At first she looked offended, but then half-smiled as she realized that Derek was thinking with his brain, not other certain places.

"There's something we need to tell you and Zach," I said. He stared at me, face bright red, as if he didn't know I was in here.

"How long have you...?"

Chloe shook her head. "Not important. I'll get Zach. Red, make sure Derek doesn't make a run for it."

"Why would I try to-?"

"What we're about to tell you is very serious," was all I said. He nodded slowly, then took a seat on the couch. Zach and Chloe came in minutes later, and Zach sat in the chair across from Derek. Chloe sighed.

"Okay, you two aren't gonna like this," she said. Both of the werewolves straightened up fractionally. She looked at Zach. "Who's your biological father, Zach?"

He scrunched his brows together, then scowled. "Why?"

"Just tell us," she retorted exasperatedly.

Zach's eyes narrowed, then he slumped back. "Fine. It's Zachary Cain. Happy?"

Derek stiffened and his eyes darkened, filling quickly with raw hatred and fury. "Zachary Cain?" he asked through clenched teeth.

"Yeah," Zach snarled, standing up. "What's it to you?"

Derek stood up so fast, even I fell back. "Zachary Cain is _my_ father."

Zach's eyes glittered with rage. "You can have him, Souza. I don't give a shit about him."

"He's dead, you idiot!" he snarled. Chloe jumped in front of them before they could lunge.

"Both of you, shut the hell up and sit your asses down!" she yelled with a voice so stern, _I_ was tempted to sit down. Derek and Zach both froze and gaped at her. She fixed them both with glares. "Derek, you're handling it worse than Tori did."

He looked hurt, and glowered. "But this is different."

"Right, because she didn't find out that the one she hates is her half-brother, which is the exact opposite of what she wanted. Oh, wait. That's exactly what happened."

Zach looked down, and I felt bad for him. He has no family, and the one he loves is taken. And now he finds out the lover of the girl he's in love with is his half-brother. And his half-brother looks like he wants to kill him. It must really suck. I mean, I lost both of my parents, but at least I knew they both loved me.

Derek tried to step around his mate, and she grabbed his face with both of her hands and made him meet her eyes.

"Derek, if you kill him, you will prove the stereotypes correct. You will become the werewolf everyone sees. Do you really want that?"

His eyes widened, and flooded with pain. He closed them for a second, then reopened them, and he was once again in control.

"No, I don't," he whispered. "But I still hate him."

Zach winced, and Neige ran into the room. Her eyes were filled with fear, and adrenaline was coursing through her veins. I grabbed her and pulled her against me. "What's wrong?" I asked, pulling her behind me, as Derek did the same with Chloe. Zach stepped in front of the both of us, clearly ready for a Change.

"It's the St. Cloud and Nast Cabals. They've teamed up. And they're here. Lauren called them."

**What did you think of the cliffhanger? What if I told you that this was the last chapter of my story?**

**What if I'm lying?**

**Honestly, I think the next chapter will be my last one. Or maybe I'll do a chapter and an epilogue.**

**Ooh, and shout-out to Necromancer1999, RandomReader15, and Clover10164 for guessing the Zach thing-y correctly!**

**-WiccaChick98**


	8. The Final Battle

**The conclusion to our story! I'd love to thank all of you viewers for reading my stories! And, remember, it's not too late to review! (Ugh, I sound like one of those annoying talkshow hosts.)**

**Apology: Sorry if it's OOC. You've been warned.**

**Disclaimer: I really don't own it. So, go away! (But read my story and review, first! lol)**

Derek's POV

I scooped my mate up in my arms and ran as fast as I could. I ran into our room and shut and locked the door.

"Derek, what about-"

"Shh!"

She frowned, but stayed silent.

_Listen to me. Keep her safe. Make sure she's okay, then go back for everyone else. She's our main priority. Got that?_

_ Absolutely._

"Everyone else?" she whispered so softly I had to strain to hear.

"Unimportant." And they were, for the time being. I know it sounds bad, but Chloe is the one I need to keep safe. She's more important to me than anyone else.

She kept quiet, and placed a hand on my shoulder. I looked over at her, and saw her blue eyes brimmed with concern.

"I'm okay," I whispered. She nodded, then kissed my cheek. I wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close.

"We have to get out," she whispered.

"No, we-"

"Derek, we do. They can blow up the house."

Damn, I hadn't thought of that. I listened, and heard footsteps coming to the door. I picked her up, opened my window, and climbed onto the roof. She clung to me, and I jumped down just in time. The shingles on which I had been standing on only seconds ago exploded. I felt part of one hit my back, but it didn't hurt. Chloe yelped, and I shushed her.

"It's okay, Angel," I said. "They didn't get me."

She jumped out of my arms and grabbed my hand. We took off running, dirt behind us flying up as they tried and failed to hit us.

We got to a small clearing far enough away and stopped. Chloe pressed her lips to my neck, then breathed in deeply. I ran a hand through her hair, pulling her close, loving her touch for the time being. I enjoyed it while it lasted, because I didn't know if I'd ever feel it again.

_Don't think like that,_ the Wolf said sternly. _You will make sure she gets out alive._

_ It wasn't her I was thinking about._

Pessimistic as it was, it was true. I'd lay down my life for Chloe, and I was hoping she knew that. I'd take a bullet for her without a moment's hesitation.

As if reading my thoughts, she whispered, "It'll be okay, Nightingale. We'll be okay."

I nodded, and pulled back. I checked the air; Red, Neige's, and Simon's scents drifted toward me, all coming from the same direction. Scooping my mate up in my arms once again, I ran towards them. Chloe stayed still the entire time, clutching onto my shirt. Her face was buried in my chest.

When we finally got to the clearing- it felt like ages that I'd been running, but had probably been a few minutes- Red, his mate, and my brother were standing there. They all looked up, and when I put Chloe down, Red ran over to her and pressed his lips to her forehead. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him fiercely, which he seemed more than grateful to return. Neige smiled at the two of them, and Simon clapped me on the back.

"Hey, bro," he said casually, as if we weren't running from the Cabal.

Once Red and my mate broke apart, he looked at everyone that was in the clearing. He cleared his throat and opened his mouth to speak, when he and I heard two sets of footsteps running towards us. I pulled Chloe behind me, and Red did the same with his mate. It was almost a comical relief to see that it was only Dad and Tori, instead of the Nasts and/or St. Clouds.

Dad hugged me and Simon, then smiled and nodded at Red, Chloe, and Neige.

"Is that everyone?" he asked.

Chloe shook her head. "Zach. He's not here."

I didn't really give a shit if Zachary was here or not, but honestly? It was better if he didn't show. I don't care if he was my half-brother- he made my mate uncomfortable, then continued to bait me. He could die, for all I cared.

But I didn't dare say that in front of Chloe. She and Zachary were _friends_. If I badmouthed him at all, she'd probably yell at me. And I definitely didn't want that. So I kept my mouth shut and continued to run my hand up and down her back. Red seemed to be mulling something over, then straightened himself.

"I have an idea," he declared, then turned to me. "Derek, you may or may not like it."

I nodded. "Okay. What is it?"

"Who is the main threat, here? Who could probably kill the most people in the shortest amount of time? And who would they want to take down first?"

Chloe's eyes widened, and she vise-gripped my arm. Neige stood in shock, eyes locked on Red.

"We need to lead them away from here," he said. "And over the ravine by the river."

"Absolutely not!" Neige and Chloe both snapped at the same time. Our gazes shot to them.

"Chloe..." I sighed. She glared at me.

"I am not about to let you risk your life for something like that! Hell, I'm not about to let you risk your life for anything at all!" she snarled.

Neige was currently saying the same thing to her mate, and he was trying to calm her down. I focused my attention on Chloe, who looked like she was about to cry, but blinked the tears back.

I looked into her eyes, and she locked her arms around my neck and pressed her forehead against mine. "I can't lose you, Derek."

I placed my hands on her back, pulling her closer against me. "I'll be back, Angel. I promise," I whispered softly. The Wolf sighed at the mistake I'd made, but I ignored him and pressed my lips to hers.

Kisses, if you're close enough to the person, can tell you how she feels. When I kissed Chloe, I tasted sadness, pain, and remorse. Just the way she held onto me told me that she never, ever wanted to let go, but had no choice. When we broke apart, tears were sliding down her cheeks, and I kissed them away.

"And _I_ can't lose _you_," I muttered to her. She closed her eyes and nodded, then pulled me into a fierce hug.

"I love you, Nightingale," she whispered. "Be careful, and be safe."

I was doing this for her. To let her escape. To let her live. If I died tonight, as long as she was okay, I would be happy doing so. So why did it hurt to do this? My hand brushed across her face, wiping away her tears, and I kissed her neck.

"I love you, too, Angel. I always will."

I started to pull back when her arms locked around my waist and she buried her face in my chest, sobbing. This was really upsetting her. I kissed the top of her head, and looked over at Red and Neige.

Red had his hands on either side of his mate's face, and he was talking to her in a serious yet soft voice. I could see the tear streaks on her face, and he occasionally kissed one away. He pulled back, kissed her once more, then walked over to where my mate and I were. Red's eyes softened when he saw his sister crying into my chest. He ran a hand through her hair, and she turned around.

"I'll make sure he comes back safely," he whispered, kissing her forehead.

She smiled up at him and hugged him in a thank-you. "Good luck, Red. And be safe."

"I will, Darling."

He looked at me. "Ready?"

I nodded, letting go of Chloe's hand.

"Alright." Red looked at everyone. "While we're gone, I want you all to split up into two groups and run. Go to the clearing across of the road. There should be a tunnel under the road, so one group should go through that. The other group needs to take the way through the river. All of you need to be careful, and know your strengths."

With that, we ran off.

"Keep an eye out for Zach, too," Red called. I nodded.

"And keep them away from everyone," I added.

"Right."

Suddenly, a bullet whizzed past me, missing my arm by a mere centimeter. I growled, nice and loud, before circling back to get the goon's attention again and lead him to the ravine.

"Split up and cover as much ground as you can!" Red shouted, then took off in one direction. I ran the other way. Several shots sounded, but I managed to dodge each one. They had seriously bad aim. The forest blurred as I ran; my only thought was to go with the plan. Keep my pack safe. Keep Chloe safe.

Keep Chloe safe.

That was all that mattered, and that was what I'd do.

Chloe's POV

I dried my tears, trying to hold in my sniffles as I watched Derek and Red run off. Tori put an arm around my shoulder.

"He'll be back," she said soothingly. I nodded, then stood up. We needed to get away from here, and my moping around wasn't going to help. I cleared my throat and took charge.

"Okay. Kit and Simon, go with Neige through the tunnel. It's more coverage, and it's quicker for three people. Tori and I will take the river path. And it needs to be understood that if one group doesn't show up, you _cannot_ go looking for them. They'd be easier off hunkering down and keeping low. Not with people running around, calling attention to themselves. Understood?"

Everyone muttered an agreement.

"Good. Now, let's split up. Be as quick as you can, and know your strengths. Good luck."

Tori and I ran towards the river, while Kit, Simon, and Neige ran to the tunnel.

Twigs snapped under my feet, but the forest was far from quiet tonight, so I was okay. Tori ran ahead, looking around to make sure it was all clear. I stayed behind her to make sure that no one was sneaking up behind us. After twenty minutes of running, our breaths were coming out in huffs and pants.

"Maybe we should stop for a minute," Tori wheezed. I nodded in agreement, and we climbed up into a tree. It was better for lookout, anyway. As I peered out into the night, I could've sworn I saw a dark wolf running in the opposite direction of the ravine. I scrunched my brows and tilted my head to the side.

Was Derek lost? Or was he done already? Then, where was Red? Or was I imagining things? I shrugged it off, then hopped down from the tree.

"We need to get going," I said. Tori nodded and jumped down. We took off running, ducking under branches and springing over fallen trees. I could just see the river, when a face popped up in front of me.

"Chloe!" it yelled.

I froze. "Liz? What're you doing here?"

"Don't stop running! There's someone about to get you from the side!"

I increased my speed, yelling at Tori to pick up the pace. She ran harder, as did I.

"Chloe!" Liz shouted. "Watch-"

She didn't get to finish. A shot rang out, and I collapsed in pain, clutching my side. Tori ran for a few more seconds, then looked back. She screamed, "CHLOE!" She ran over to where I was and dropped to my side. Blood was pouring from the open wound, soaking my shirt and staining the grass with the dark red liquid. I clenched my teeth, and Tori muttered something in Latin under her breath, holding her hand over where I had been shot. It glowed for a second, then faded. She blinked in surprise, then muttered something else, more frustrated and panicky. Same effect.

"Tori," I tried. She shook her head. Liz was nowhere to be seen.

"I need to-" Tori started, but I cut her off.

"No, there's no time. It's no use. But don't worry, I'll be fine," I reassured her. She shook her head again, tears pouring from her eyes. She knew I was lying.

"I have to heal you."

"You can't. Now go! Just get out of here! You could get caught!"

"No, I-"

"Go!"

She shook her head once more, on the edge of hysterics. "You can't die, Chloe."

I sighed. "I won't die, Tori. I'll be fine. I can hide, remember? And you know what I told everyone. Even if something happens, keep going." I didn't think it'd be this drastic- the instance where something _does_ happen, that is- but she had to go. They could catch her.

I was slowly fading. I could feel it, draining out of me with the blood. "Tori, _please_. Go. They can find you, and one casualty is better than two."

Tori made a sobbing noise before nodding and slowly standing up. "I'll go get the others."

"No, you'll be putting them in danger. It'll be okay, Tori."

She hugged me gently. "Goodbye, Chloe."

I hugged her back. "Goodbye, Tori. Tell Derek I love him and that I'm sorry. And tell Red that he's the best brother ever, and Neige is amazing, and I hope that the two of them are happy together."

She nodded, cast me a tearful glance, and took off. I sighed, relaxing now that she had a chance at survival. Using my arms, I dragged myself over to the base of a tree. I lay down, staring at the stars.

"_I'm sorry_," I sang softly. "_Nothing can hold me. I adore you still, but I hear them calling. And nothing can hold me._" There was a crack in the bushes, and I smiled. "I know you're there. You want me dead or alive. You can shoot me, if you want to. I'm gonna die, anyway."

There was a whine, and I tried to look up, but my vision was blotting. I started to see black spots.

"It's okay," I whispered to wherever the whine was coming from. "It's all right."

The soft padding of feet. Fur brushed my hand. A face was over mine. A wolf's face. And this wolf had hazel eyes.

"Hey, Zach," I said with a smile. "You're not a monster. I hope you know that."

Then I lost the ability to hang on to anything anymore.

Zach's POV

I watched as her eyes closed. Just like that. Her breathing slowed down.

I Changed back. The bushes rustled, and a man wearing a black army suit walked out. He looked almost regretful, but that didn't stop the rage I felt.

"It was you," I growled.

"I was just doing my-"

I didn't give him a chance to finish. I jumped on him, and ripped his head clean off of his body. I threw it against the tree for good measure, then ran back to Chloe. I checked her pulse. She was still alive, but just barely. I checked the guard. He had a first-aid kit on him, and I took it, plus the gun and ammo.

I sat beside her, then started to clean the wound. I wouldn't be able to get the bullet out right now, because it required concentration. Which I didn't have, considering I had to look out for her. I could, however, clean up her wound and bandage it for now. And I did exactly that, then scooped her up in my arms as gently as possible and ran after Tori's scent.

She told me I wasn't a monster. She never gave up on me.

Now it was my turn to return the favor.

Red's POV

I growled and stepped toward the guard. He took a step back, and tumbled right off the edge and into the ravine. It felt horrible to be killing people, but it was necessary for the sake of my pack.

Derek walked up to me. "That the last of them?"

I nodded. "Yep. Even took out St. Cloud. You?"

"Killed Thomas Nast. Now let's go. I feel uneasy."

I smiled, and we ran to the clearing. When we got there, I knew instantly that something was wrong. Kit and Simon had their heads bowed, Neige was crying, and Tori was in the fetal position, bawling. And Chloe was-

"Where's Chloe?" Derek asked, voice an octave higher from worry. Tori looked up.

"I-I'm s-so so-sorry-y," she cried. "Th-they sh-shot at u-us an-and i-it hit-t he-her. I-I-I tr-tried to f-fix i-it, b-b-but sh-she t-told-d m-m-me-e th-that it was-s im-impossible-le. I-I tr-tried t-to he-help, b-but sh-she wouldn't l-l-l-let me! Then she- she- she- she..." She started sobbing again. Derek looked like he was going to be sick.

"N-no," he whispered, voice barely audible. "Not Chloe. Not my mate!" He buried his face in his hands, sinking to the ground. His body shook, but he didn't cry. He wouldn't. This was the only amount of emotion he'd show. He'd be like this for a few hours, then all of the feeling would be sucked out of him. He'd kill himself.

Kit stepped forward, but I shook my head at him. No words of comfort could help Derek. I rested a hand on his shoulder as a sympathetic gesture. Tori looked up again.

"She w-wanted m-me to te-tell y-you g-guys something-ing," she whispered. Derek looked up. Tori cleared her throat so she wouldn't stutter. "Red, she says that you're the best brother ever. Neige, she says you're amazing and that he hopes you two are happy together. And, Derek." He stared at her.

"Yeah?" he asked, voice raspy, like he hadn't used it in a while.

"She said to tell you that... She loves you and she's sorry."

He nodded and put his face in his hands again. "I had so much planned," he whispered. "I love her." He looked up at me, eyes pleading. "Why did she have to die? She was beautiful and perfect! Why would they take away my angel? I failed her. I should've kept her safe. But they killed her." His face turned to rage. "They killed her!" He stood up and turned to run. "When I get my-"

"Help!" a voice yelled. "Help! Somebody help me!"

We- even Derek- turned to see Zach run into the clearing, naked. But that's not why we reacted. He was carrying a woman in his arms. With long blond hair and pale skin.

"Chloe," Derek whimpered.

Zach's POV

The look of raw emotion on Souza's face when he saw his mate was unlike anything I'd ever seen before. He looked so... helpless and broken. Definitely not the tough, smart-ass werewolf I was used to. I lowered her to the ground, took out the first-aid kit and sat beside her. I checked her pulse. Still alive.

Derek fell beside her, hand slowly caressing her face. He looked up at me.

"Was it you?"

"No," I growled. "It was an ass from the Cabal."

A look of pure guilt washed over his face. "I-I was supposed to get them all away from-"

"It happens," I snapped.

"Who," he suddenly snarled, eyes narrow, rage making the usual green look black. "And when I find them-"

"Beat you to it," I said apologetically. "Killed him. Sorry, Sou- Derek."

He glowered at the tree behind me, and I sighed. "I need a lookout. I'm gonna try to remove the bullet."

"And what makes you think you can do that?" Derek snarled. I met his eyes.

"Because I've taken first-aid," I replied evenly.

"I'll watch out. Derek, stay there." I looked up to see a tear-streaked Williamson. He nodded at me, and I handed him the gun. "Never know."

He straightened up, and looked around the clearing. I went to work.

The bandage came off first. Derek winced when he saw the ugly wound. I grabbed the tweezers, washed them in alcohol, then slowly opened her cut. Blood started to trickle out, and I searched for the damned bullet. It was in deep. Finally, after what seemed like forever, I found it and got it out. Then I turned her onto her side and pulled out the thread and needle. I stitched the wound carefully after wiping the blood away. When it was closed, I cut the thread and tied it before checking her pulse. My lungs turned to ice. Barely anything. She was dying.

I looked at Souza. "Forgive me," I said before sucking in a breath and pressing my lips to hers. I blew in softly, pinching her nose. Nothing. I blew in again, then started doing the compressions. After ten, I blew in again. Ten more compressions. Blew in again. Still nothing.

Just as I was about to lose all hope, she gasped out, eyes fluttering. Derek looked up. A moan of pain escaped her lips in the form of 'Derek'. He was at her side in a heartbeat, grasping her hand.

"I'm here, Angel," he whispered, tears starting to roll down his cheeks. "I'm here."

She smiled at him, then at everyone else, who had gathered around her. "I thought I was dead."

I met her questioning eyes and said, "You never gave up on me. Why should I give up on you?"

Derek looked at me, then at Chloe. He looked into my eyes. "You saved her life, Zachary. For that, I owe you mine." He kissed his mate's forehead. "Thank you."

Red smiled, and ran a hand through his little sister's hair. "Am I still the best brother ever?"

She laughed softly. "Absolutely."

Tori still had tears pouring from her eyes. "Chloe, I am so sorry. I-"

"Tori," she said to silence her. "I _told_ you to leave. It's okay."

Derek's jaw tensed, and he whispered. "I will not yell at her. I will not yell at her. I-"

"But you will," she countered, running a hand up his forearm. "Just wait until I'm healed."

He nodded, tears still falling. She smiled at him, tears of her own leaking out. Everyone was crying. Even me. I kissed her on the head. Derek and Red tried not to growl, and I rolled my eyes.

"I'm glad you're okay, sis," I said gently. She laughed again, then her shoulders relaxed. She closed her eyes.

"No," Derek whispered. "You can't die, Chloe. I love you too much. I won't let you die on me. I-"

"I'm not dying!" she said exasperatedly. Derek looked down.

"Oh."

She smiled and kissed his hand. "And, for the record, I love you, too."

He smiled at her, a smiled that I knew was only shared between the two of them.

"What's going on, here?" a voice we all knew too well asked.

Lauren was standing at the entrance. She frowned at us.

"Where the hell is my niece? If you idiots hurt her, I swear to god, I'll-"

"I'm right here," Chloe said, trying to sit up. Derek helped her, and she winced, leaning against him.

Lauren gasped. "That mutt hurt you, didn't he?"

Chloe glared at her. "No, the Cabal workers did. The ones _you_ called. My mate had absolutely nothing to do with it."

Her aunt's eyes nearly bugged out of her head. "Your mate! How could you?"

"No," Neige snarled, stalking over to Lauren. "How could _you_?" She grabbed Lauren's arm. Frost gathered on it, and ice started crawling up her legs. "You tried to kill us. Your own niece."

"N-no!" Lauren spluttered. "Not Chloe! Th-they guaranteed her safety! St-stop it, N-Neige!"

"Why in the hell should I?" she growled. Red's eyes widened.

"If she kills her," he whispered. "She'll guilt herself to death." He walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her away. He whispered something in her ear, and she relaxed. Lauren grabbed a knife and started to charge at Derek. He pushed Chloe out of the way.

It all happened in slow motion. Lauren rose her hand to stab him. She had him cornered. He was screwed. I tried to move to save him, but before I could, I heard something. We all did.

_Pop, pop, pop_

A gun going off. Lauren fell to her side, mouth still open in rage.

We turned just in time to see Chloe drop the gun. There was an awkward silence before she said, "Well, I wasn't about to let my mate die!"

Derek's arms locked around her and he pulled her close, murmuring to her gently. He peppered her with kisses. I smiled. Simon and Tori made _awww_ noises. Kit looked at Chloe with a knowing look on his face.

"It's all over," I whispered, stunned. "We've defeated the Cabal. It's all over."

Neige and Tori laughed with joy. Simon grinned from ear to ear. Red spun his mate around before kissing her. Kit looked like he needed a drink. Chloe and Derek were holding each other. I leaned against the tree and grinned, then asked the famous all-time question.

"So, what now?"

_(2 Weeks Later)_

Chloe's POV

I lay in bed, resting. Zach had said that it'd heal right up, but Derek wasn't taking any chances. He made sure I got plenty of rest. Which sucked, because that meant we wouldn't be having sex any time soon.

We were currently living in a house in Maine, a huge house. Eight rooms, plus a study, and five bathrooms. I had no freaking clue how Kit could afford this. We had a flat-screen, for Pete's sake! But I figured that Lauren's banking account helped, plus her life insurance.

Was I upset that my aunt was dead? Kinda. It made me sad to think that she was gone out of my life forever, but she wasn't really my aunt anymore. Hatred changes people.

How did I feel about killing her? I didn't really know. It was something that had to be done. I did feel a bit bad for taking away a life, but I felt the same way as I did about Davidoff. It was necessary, and I felt bad because I had to do it. But I didn't think anyone else would.

And Derek _did_ chew me out. He told me that it was stupid for risking my life like that. He said that he never wanted to see me do anything like that ever again. As for my response? I smiled, kissed him, and said, "I love you, too, Der."

There was a knock on my door, and none other than Derek Souza walked in. His head was down, and he sat on the edge of my bed.

"Hey," I said gently. He smiled at me, then reached out and brushed some of my hair back.

"How're you feeling?"

"Fine."

"No sores?"

"Only regular muscles sores from being shot. I'm fine."

He nodded slowly, then looked up at me. "You're not gonna pass out, or anything, right?" He had meant it as a joke, but I could see the terror behind his eyes. He had been so worried.

I sat up. Derek reached out to help me, but I shook my head. When I was in an upright position, I said, "I'm okay, Derek. I promise."

He nodded again, and I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him close. Derek was usually tougher than this, but considering how I'd been shot, he's been a little emotional these past few weeks.

"When Zach brought you back, I thought you were... And then with the CPR..." he whispered, pressing his face into my shoulder. I ran my fingers through his hair.

"It's all right, Nightingale. I'm fine." I kissed the top of his head softly. "I love you."

"I love you, too," he whispered, then pulled back, blushing. "I, uh, have something for you."

I cocked my head to the side. "Oh?"

He nodded, then said, "Come on in."

A man walked into the room. He was wearing a business suit, had graying brown hair, and brown eyes. He looked at me, and tears leaked from his eyes.

"Chloe," he whispered, wrapping his arms around me. I hugged him back.

"Hi, Dad."

**Taa-daa! That concludes my story, The Raging Wolves. I hope you all enjoyed it. (This has been: NBC Nightly News. Thanks for watching! lol)**

**It will feel so weird, not staying up late to work with Red anymore, but I enjoyed it while it lasted.**

**People I'd like to thank:**

**Cowgirl34: for keeping me on track and bugging me to keep on writing, threatening to maim me if I don't. Friends. What would you do without them?**

**Mom: for putting up with all of my crazy ideas, and being my consultant when I had a question about keeping them in character.**

**Dad: for simply ignoring me when I obsess over my story instead of telling me to shut the hell up, which I know he was tempted to a few times.**

**My other friends at school: for laughing along with me when I joked about the story, even though they had no idea what I was talking about.**

**And finally...**

**My dog, Gonzo: for keeping me in a good mood by wagging his tail, cuddling with me, and giving me plenty of licks.**

**~...~**

**Do you really think I'd forget you guys?**

**My AMAZING reviewers and followers: for being there and giving me the constructive criticism, making me smile and laugh (with you, not at you), and giving me just the push I needed to keep writing. I LOVE YOU GUYS!**

**Okay, so I think that's it. You guys rock, and thanks.**

**(I'm going overboard, aren't I? I think I'm procrastinating, so I don't have to end the story.)**

**Bye for now,**

**-WiccaChick98**


	9. Epilogue Zach

**Hey, I lied. I've decided to write an epilogue- something for our Zach!**

**I don't own it.**

**Sorry if it's OOC**

**Steven is Chloe's daddy, in case you didn't know!**

**P.S. It's a repetitive. And the why will be revealed at the end!**

**P.P.S. You can PM me from my author's page, if you want to chat! I don't have much of a social life at school (It's all about sports, and that's the one subject I suck at) and I like talking to you guys. Not to sound stalkerish or creepy... sorry if I do.**

**Enjoy!**

Zach's POV

I watched as Chloe and Derek disappeared behind the trees, hand in hand. She smiled and kissed him, and his arm wrapped around her, pulling her close. Steven also watched them with an approving smile as they vanished. Chloe and Derek were both happy.

Red and Neige were watching TV on the couch in the living room, cuddled up close. He occasionally kissed her somewhere on her face, and she ran a hand through his hair. She'd sometimes pull her hand back and smile at the ring on her finger. They were both happy.

Simon and Amy, his girlfriend, were up in his room, working on a new drawing or painting. Every once in a while, they'd stop talking for a second. Probably to kiss, but you never know. Simon had said that he liked her quite a bit, and wanted to stay with her for a long time. She returned the feelings. They, too, were both happy.

Tori was out with Bradley, _her_ new boyfriend. They were most likely at a huge-ass party, getting drunk, or making out in the back of a restaurant. Like I'd said before, you never know with people theses days. Either way, they were both happy.

And as for me? I was not. Nobody liked me- _really_ liked me. The only girls who stopped to talk to me only wanted to date a hot guy. Not Zach. All they ever wanted was an image-booster. It was kinda depressing, how Tori- the queen B-for-bitch- had a boyfriend, but I didn't.

I remembered Chloe's words of wisdom. _"Just move on. Find someone that you don't have to rape, then stay with them. Stay with us and _quit brooding_. It'll make you feel better if you smile more often."_ If only it were that easy.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts, and decided to go for a jog. I told Kit what I was doing, then ran out into the early evening cool. The wind blew through my hair, making the already-mussed hair messier. I smiled and broke into a jog.

After around an hour or so, I decided to stop and take a stroll in the park. It was a nice enough night, especially for early March in Maine. There weren't that many people here, and I thanked whoever was listening for that. I'm not usually one to like crowds. I sat down on a bench, just breathing in the air, when a new scent came. It was really sweet, and smelled of honey and ginger and fresh-baked cookies. I opened my eyes to see a girl standing beside the bench. She had storm-gray eyes and fair skin. Her hair was dark brown, long and soft-looking, and it make my fingers itch to touch it. She was medium height, and modestly formed- she had a body, but it wasn't showy.

"Mind if I sit?" she asked. I nodded, trying not to look eager. She smiled and sat gingerly beside me. I resisted the urge to draw her close. "My name is Lillian," she said, leaning back against the back of the bench. "Yours?"

"Zach," I replied, shaking her hand. My mouth went dry at her touch. God, why did I feel like this?

_She is so pretty,_ the Wolf whispered. Even he was in awe.

Over the next fifteen minutes we got to know each other. Lillian was only two months younger than me, loved to run, hated the Twilight movies, and thought vampires were weird. She and I had a lot in common, apparently. The Wolf smiled as I told her about my 'family'. He liked the idea of me telling her how I had a lot of people living under one roof, and that I wasn't causing any trouble, and could provide for them. She smiled and told me that she had a little brother named Rick, and her mom and dad- Emma and Kevin. When she asked me about my mom and dad, I tensed up.

"Um," I said very intelligently. She frowned.

"You don't have to tell me, if you don't want to. I was just curious," she said softly. I blinked.

"Uh, thanks, but I... I don't know why, but I want you to know."

"Know what, Zach?"

Head down, I told her about Hannah and how she was raped. About being miserable as a child, cutting myself, my suicide attempts. And she listened to the entire thing. I was scared to tell her about the raping girls part, but I found myself telling her that, anyway. The words rolled off my tongue before I could stop them.

When I was done, I looked up at her. "So that's pretty much it. You can run screaming now."

Lillian stared at me, tears in her eyes. "Why would I do that?" she asked. "You had a horrible childhood! And you regret doing what you did, so you're not a bad guy."

I laughed. "That's exactly what Chloe said."

She stiffened. "And Chloe is...?"

"My half-brother's girlfriend. I think you two would be great friends."

Lillian nodded and smiled, then wrote something down on a slip of paper that was in her pocket. "I've gotta go, but here's my number. Call me!"

"Bye," I said, stupefied. She ran off.

I stared down at the number. 207-8504. **(AN: I just made the number up, minus the area code) **She told me to call her. Did that mean she liked me? I grinned.

_Well, you definitely like her,_ the Wolf said, tail wagging. _And I do, too._

Three days later, Lillian came over for a visit. We took a walk through the woods, just talking, when our hands brushed accidentally on purpose. I expected her to pull away, but she slid her hand into mine casually, twining her fingers through mine.

"I need to tell you something," Lillian said suddenly.

"Okay, what is it?"

"You'll think I'm insane."

"No I won't." I looked at her. "Promise."

She took a deep breath. "I'm a terra half-demon."

"Ah," I replied. "Latin for earth."

Lillian cast a sideways glance at me. "Zach? Did you hear what I just said?"

"You're a terra half-demon."

"And why are you not freaking-" She stopped mid sentence. "You're a Supernatural, too?"

"Yup."

"What kind?"

"Guess."

She laughed. "Are you some kind of half demon, too?"

"Nope.

"A sorcerer?"

"Nope."

"Shaman?"

"Nope."

"Necromancer?"

"Nope."

Lillian looked me over again, then nodded to herself. "Werewolf. Shoulda known."

I smiled. "And you're not scared?"

"Why would I be? You're still the same old Zach I lo- know," she said with a grin.

My mind raced. Was she about to say that she loved me? But we'd only known each other for three days. I'm not saying I didn't love her, but wasn't it a little soon?

_Not for your mate._

_My mate?_

_Yeah. She's your mate._

It kinda made sense. No wonder I loved her scent so much.

Lillian bit her lip, as if contemplating something. Then she stood on her tiptoes, wrapped her arms around my neck, and kissed me.

How lame would it be if I said that this was my first kiss? At the moment, I didn't care. She was kissing me. And I was kissing her back. When we broke apart, I couldn't help the "I love you" that escaped from my lips.

Lillian blushed and rested her forehead against mine. "And I think I love you, too."

"Close enough," I muttered, and kissed her again.

-time elapse-

Lillian and I were sitting on my bed, kissing. Her hands were in my hair, and mine were on her back. Her legs were wrapped around my waist, and we'd occasionally pull back, and I'd kiss her neck while she whispered that she loved me. I'd run my hands through her hair and pull her in again, and she'd eagerly go along with it. I'd tell her how I felt by rubbing her shoulders and arms, and she'd respond by pressing herself closer to me. Lillian was my mate, and she knew it. And she didn't run, because she loved me, too.

And we were both happy.

**NOW, that's the (very-extremely-absolutely cheesy) end! I hope you liked it!**

**-WiccaChick98**


End file.
